The Man Behind The Legend
by WishUponAStar1015
Summary: Ariya is a girl who is abused by her father and rejected from society. The Jade Emperor hears her pleas for help and sends her thousands of years into the past, where she meets The Monkey King. Prequal to The Forbidden Kingdom. Ariya/Monkey King
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Forbidden Kingdom. The Monkey King, Jade Warlord, Jade Emperor, and Jade Empress all belong to Chinese Mythology so nobody owns those except for the Chinese culture.**

**I do own Ariya, but Caeley owns herself. I apologize to her for not being able to contact her.**

**This story is going through major changes. For example: It is now going to be in first person.**

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**The Man Behind The Legend**

**Prologue**

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The loud clang of metal was heard echoing through the air, reverberating from behind the mountains. If you concentrated then you could hear the soft pitter patter of feet on the mountain dirt. Giggling voices could be heard after each echoing clang of metal; one giggling voice obviously belonged to a female while the other belonged to a male. The man and the woman were fighting each other with metal staffs, crashing them against each other with surprising ease and marvelous grace. If you looked long enough it seemed like the fluidity of their moves were like dancing in the air.

The white-blond haired man could easily be described as mischievous as his grin stretched wide across his face. His long white-blond hair was kept out of his face with a leather hair wrap; the wrap had a special opening at the top for his ponytail, which was set high on his head. The pale colored hair ran down both of his cheeks, stopping at his chin to create interesting sideburns.

The mischievous white-blond haired man was wearing a black kimono top with the traditional Chinese fighting pants. The sleeves, however, had been twisted enough so that they were tucked neatly against his skin. The unique man wore brown leather guards around his wrists, arms, shoulders, thighs, and thick leather boots that protected his shins and feet. He giggled again as he blocked the incoming attack from the woman's metal staff with his own. A resounding clang emitted from the attack, but instead of shying away from the sound the woman just laughed, leaning forward and pecking the male on the cheek.

The graceful woman jumped away, swishing her own silver hair over her shoulder as the tiny leaf like jade pieces jingled on her circlet. She smiled as she blocked an incoming attack, using the muscles in her arms to redirect the hit to a rock to the side. She was wearing a green no-sleeved Chinese style martial arts shirt, which buttoned down the middle. She was wearing white cotton pants with a black sash, leather wrist guards and leather ankle guards and cotton martial artist slippers. The silver haired woman jabbed her metal staff into the ground and tightened her leg muscles, jumping up on the staff; she smiled, balancing as she pulled herself up on top.

"Hah! Take that, Monkey King!" she giggled, sticking her tongue out at the white haired male, or shall we call him Monkey King? He swiped at her metal staff with his own, immediately catching her in his arms when she tumbled off. He wasn't that cruel; of course he would have caught her.

"What were you saying, my dear Monkey Queen?" he asked her, grinning as she stuck out her tongue at him once again. The pair was extremely comfortable with each other; it was unusual for a male and a female of their caliber to be sparring with one another. It was even more unusual for a female to take part in martial arts at all!

The silver haired woman smirked, planting her feet on his chest and kicking off; the quick and surprising motion sent him across the rock that they were fighting on top of. He back flipped, using his staff to stop his journey across the barren land. He twirled the golden staff, flipping it around his back to the other hand, challenging the woman. She was about to attack him but stopped, cocking her head to the side. The woman's smile disappeared as she dropped into a defensive stance, motioning for the Monkey King to do the same.

"Be ready for them, Ariya." The Monkey King said, glancing in her direction as a swarm of men dressed in traditional Jade armor…the armor of the warriors of the Jade Warlord. The Jade Warlord had been hounding the Monkey King and Ariya for the past two years, wanting to take Ariya for himself. Ariya, of course, refused because her heart belonged to the one and only Monkey King; his heart was hers in return. The Warlord was jealous and full of lust, angry with Ariya because she refused to be his.

"I am ready for them, love." she said, sliding her own staff in front of her, crouching down to be ready for an attack of all directions. She knew that, unlike her love, she was not immortal. She could still die and she sure as hell did not want to die with the Monkey King watching. She'd be damned if she were to die at the hands of someone as vile as the Warlord at all.

Suddenly, the Warlord's minions attacked, bearing down upon the duo from all angles. The Monkey King grinned in glee, enjoying the fact that he could kick some well deserved ass. He giggled, swiping his well polished weapon into several minor warriors.

The two split and took on half of the warriors each, which meant each of them had about thirty warriors to fight with. The Monkey king was having fun, jumping from rock formation to rock formation with his chi magic and whacking the warriors in the ribs. The ones he hit almost automatically went down, bones cracked or broken with the force of the blow.

The silver haired Monkey Queen was faring slightly worse, using her staff in a more defensive aspect. She twirled the staff around herself, catching about ten of the warriors in either the head or the stomach, and grinned when she heard some of the bones crack. Soon, the two were separated very far, unable to see each other as they fought. The silver haired Monkey Queen fought as hard as she could before she felt a sharp pain in the back of her shoulder. She cried out as she reached behind her, pulling a thin dart from her shoulder. The dart was filled with some sort of questionable liquid; there wasn't enough time to figure out what it was, so the female kept fighting.

The Monkey King froze as he finished off the last warrior he was fighting against, heart clinching when he heard his Queen cry out. He dashed over to where she was fighting and quickly finished off the last three of her opponents, watching her as she pulled the thin dart out of her shoulder. It held a clear liquid so it could have been anything. He rushed over to her side as she fell to her knees, eyes unfocused, and shivering. Slowly, some sort of effect was growing on her. The pain increased slowly at first, but it eventually became unbearable.

Ariya felt as though she was slowly being pierced by thousands of tiny needles, but the pain was concentrated in one spot. She gasped, somewhat aware that the Monkey King was by her side. She could barely hear him begging her to tell him what was wrong; she could barely sense anything that was going on around her as her mind became foggy. What was going on? She froze as a wave of pain passed through her, causing her to scream and collapse on the rock. She grit her teeth as she seized, writhing on the soil. The silver haired woman could just barely hear the Monkey King shout her name before she felt herself being picked up bridal style and rushed off the cliff.

At no time at all they were back at the Monkey King's somewhat large home. He hurriedly carried his love into the welcoming house, and brought her over to the soft bed. She had stopped writhing a while ago and had fallen into a deep sleep, but not before muttering that she loved him.

The Monkey King smiled softly at the image of the sleeping woman, but was still worried about the serum that caused the little episode. Well, there was nothing he could do but wait until she woke up. He stripped off the two metal staffs, setting them against the wall next to the bed, then stripping off his leather armor. He then settled down beside her upon the bed and watched her as she slept. It was no time at all that he fell into a deep sleep as well, curling up against his Queen.

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A lone figure crawled through the window of the Monkey King's home, stealthily pressing itself up against the wall. This was not a normal thief; he was a master of suppressing his chi energy. Before, they had made a mistake, but now…now was the time to extract their revenge against that heathen and his 'love'.

The black clad figure sneaked a look towards the Monkey King, but soon set its eyes upon Ariya, grinning evilly. No, the woman was what it had come for. He could never be able to touch the King without him waking up…but the Monkey Queen would hold quite the ransom.

The silver haired woman had put up quite a struggle, but that was what the serum was for. It was not very strong but it was strong enough to get that woman of his to faint and get him all worked up. No doubt the Monkey King knew who was behind the act, but the person smirked, revealing a sharp fang. The person quietly slipped the silver haired woman's metal staff from the wall and secured it to his back. Then it stopped by the bed, slipping one arm under her knees and the other behind her back.

The person grunted a little bit picking up Ariya, but managed to succeed. It stood, watching the Monkey King snap his eyes open, freezing when it realized that the Monkey King had spotted it.

The person jumped back as the Monkey King swung an extremely accurate curled fist in its direction. The person jumped out the window and narrowly dodged a kick dangerously aimed for its head. The person chanted some sort of chi spell and he teleported away, with Ariya, as the Monkey King narrowly missed smashing his skull with his staff.

The Monkey King pounded the ground with his fist and glared in the direction of the Jade Warlord's palace. His eyes narrowed in his fit of rage; his blood was boiling to the point that he was no longer in control of his actions. After screaming into the night he tightened his hand into a fist, vowing to take revenge on the Jade Warlord…

The light haired warrior growled, taking off in the direction of the palace where his beloved was being held hostage. He leapt from rock tower to rock tower in order to reach his goal faster. Once he reached his goal he leapt through the window, only to see his beloved Queen strapped to the wall, obviously still unconscious. The Warlord stood in front of her, smirking, and stroking her cheek with his pale hand. The Warlord held a glaive in his other hand, a crescent blade attached to the metal pole, underneath the original glaive blade.

They stood apart, Monkey King facing evil Chinese Warlord. The King stood grinning, but he held an untold fury in his eyes. He crouched down, bringing his beloved metal staff up behind him as the Warlord swung his glaive up.

It was time to begin the battle.

* * *

There were sounds of crashing and clangs of metal reached Ariya's ears as she struggled to lift her eyelids. Everything was dark and when she managed to actually lift them the blinding light made everything worse. She was in a terrible amount of pain and just wanted to get down from this stinking wall! Wait….

Her eyes snapped open again as she realized she was actually strapped to a wall. How had she gotten there? When had she gotten there?

The silver haired woman struggled and suddenly heard cruel laughter next to her ear. She jerked her head to the left and saw that evil bastard of a Warlord standing next to her. She pushed her head far away from him and blinked in surprise when she saw a fruit being thrown at the Warlord's head. She looked up and smiled, happy that the Monkey King had come for her…if she could even figure out how she was strapped to the wall in the first place.

She was about to call out for him but stopped seeing as he was concentrating very hard on the battle. She felt like she would only get in his way seeing that he was in such a heated battle. Suddenly, the Warlord suggested that they fight without weapons and without chi magic. Sure, like the Monkey King would believe that…would he? He was so darn trusting!

The Monkey King shoved his trusted metal staff down into the ground, and was about to take position, but stopped when he saw that the Warlord had hidden a knife in his sleeve pocket. He was going to step forward but…no!

Ariya gasped as she felt a searing pain in her chest, pulsating with every beat of her heart. She looked down in a sort of daze, not believing what she was seeing. Suddenly, the restraints were loosened and she fell to the ground in a shaking heap. Her hands flew up to the knife lodged in her chest as a pair of strong arms wrapped around her shoulders. She looked up in a daze, looking up into the distraught eyes of the Monkey King. He lightly shook her shoulders but gave a light cry as she collapsed in his arms. He turned her over on her back and placed her head in his lap, lightly gripping the knife and tugging it from her chest.

Once the knife was dislodged from her chest the blood could flow freely, causing him to tear up. He knew that she was going to die, but he didn't want to face the truth. He bunched up the tough material of his belt and pressed it to the grotesque wound, but it didn't help.

"Sun…Wu…Kong" she whispered ever so quietly, taking one of his hands in hers. It was so quiet that only the Monkey King was able to hear it. She had said his name. She brought the other hand up to his face, cupping his cheek and her eyes started to glaze with unshed tears.

"Be happy…for me…" she whispered as she exhaled her last breath, her bright green eyes closing for the last time and her hand dropped from his face. The Monkey King let out a shaky breath, praying to the Jade Emperor that she should be reincarnated in the future…and live a happy life. He kissed her forehead as he set her body down. He turned to face the Warlord, glaring murder in his golden orbs. He then realized the smirk on the Warlord's face and saw the ball of blue chi energy in his hand.

As he realized his fatal mistake he used the last of his chi energy to throw both of the staffs out into the Middle Kingdom and against the light of the golden metal staff he sent out a hair.

The hair was the last chance any of them had of escaping the Warlord's power.

Yet… none of this evilness was always like this… and Ariya was once a simple girl living a hellish life in the year of 2008. She was a simple girl whose wish was granted by the Jade Emperor and met the love of her life.

Enter the story and find out exactly what happened for the legend to begin.


	2. Was it just a dream?

**Read the disclaimer in the prologue. I apologize if it seems sort of complicated...but deal with it.**

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**Chapter One**

**Was it Just a Dream?**

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Ariya's POV

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An almost inaudible gasp was heard in the classroom as I shook my head; it was then that I realized that the gasp had somehow escaped my mouth. I guess it didn't really matter, but I was one of the people who like to play by the rules. Nobody noticed my little mishap anyway; nobody notices anything that I do in class, really.

I'm more of an unordinary person – but I like to be that way – and I usually stay quiet. I complete my assignments accordingly and turn them into the teacher on time. As long as I complete my assignments my teachers don't care if I sleep; only if I do my work correctly.

A pounding in my head was causing me to wince more often today. Maybe it was because of that nightmare I had? Well, it wasn't really like a nightmare. Could I call it a dream? It was more like some sort of memory. It had been about this strange looking man called…he had been called the Monkey King. Or, rather, his real name was of Sun WuKong.

Come to think of it there was an older version of someone who looked like me in the dream. It was weird; the dream was in third person. Maybe instead of looking like me the woman actually **was** me? I don't know. I was apparently his girlfriend or something. It was a rather nice dream…except for the fact that I was kidnapped and eventually killed. Anyway, school is getting rather tedious of late. I often find myself glaring at the clock and willing it to go faster…like I am doing right now.

Time was ticking away so very slowly in the horrible penitentiary I call school; in my opinion it was the most boring place ever invented. Well, there were some interesting courses, but they had the most annoying people in them. It was also a place full of terrible people. Maybe that's why I liked to call it my own personal hell.

Oh, wait. I never introduced myself, did I? Well, I'm Ariya. I'm eighteen years old and a senior at New Heins High. Nobody knows how to pronounce my last name so there's no reason to tell you, really. I mean, nobody even really knows my first name except for the teachers. I'm a quiet person and I usually stick to the corner seats in the classroom. I prefer to wear jeans and a comfortable tee shirt, and the two things that really stand out about me – that I like – are my bright green eyes and my abnormal hair color. My eyes are the color of jade and my hair…why it's silver.

The students of this school make fun of me as often as they can. They are cruel and harsh; sometimes they make me feel like I shouldn't exist. They make fun of the way I look, like my hair, and they criticize my interests. It's not my fault that Chinese Mythology simply astounds me. I've been interested in the Monkey King for…as long as I can remember.

They don't know my secret, though. If they did then they would do either one of two things. They would make fun of me more…or they would cower in fear and awe. You see, I'm learning the ways of the martial arts. Not the Tai Kwan Do or Karate of today…no…I'm learning the old style. I'm learning Kung Fu.

Kung Fu is probably one of the hardest things to learn when tampering with the martial arts. I swore to myself a long time ago that I would never use any of my skills to take down one of my age or below. That would be just…horrible. My favorite weapon happens to be the Bo staff, or just Bo for short. It's a long rod, which can be either carved of wood or forged from metal, and can be used for either offensive or defensive purposes. When I was younger I used to take up sticks and pretend that I was fighting alongside the fabled Monkey King. The Mythology was sort of an outlet for me.

Suddenly, my thoughts were rudely interrupted as the bell rang. I didn't mind; it was indicating that class was over for the day. I shuddered, thanking the Jade Emperor that the teachers didn't assign us any homework for today. Seriously…math is not my best subject. Algebra II? Forget it.

Anyway, I collected my things and smiled softly at the picture I had absentmindedly drawn during the rest of class. Ironically enough it was a picture of the Monkey King, wielding his famous staff. It was called the Nyoi-bo. I shouldered my black and silver backpack, smiling at the prospect of getting some fresh air. Once I was outside I couldn't hold back my wide smile. I enjoyed being outside. The scenery – the fresh air, which I took a deep breath of. I just loved being in the outdoors; the animal noises and the soft breeze was almost calming to me.

After taking in another deep breath I continued to walk, going down the flight of steps in front of me. I turned to my left, continuing past all the cars of my senior class. My life at home…isn't the greatest. If I had enough money I would have saved up for a brand new Camaro. The Camaro is my favorite type of vehicle; what I would give to put myself behind the steering wheel…but no matter. My mouth stretched into a grin for what seemed like the thousandth time that hour, but I simply couldn't help it.

I was about to go to the Dojo. It was the place where I usually spent my afternoons and evenings. It was called what it was, simply the Dojo. I would finally be able to get my hands on that sleek wooden bow that I loved to practice with. It was also my day to help practice with the little ones; my master was sick with the Flu and couldn't come in today. That would probably be the one thing that everyone likes about me; I'm dependable. If I said that I would so something then I would complete it to the best of my ability, damn it.

Unfortunately, I was drawn out of my thoughts when a sharp pain wove its way through the back of my skull. I brought a hand up to my head in confusion, and I'm sure my eyes widened when I saw a tiny smudge of crimson liquid on it. My head was bleeding! Head wounds were nasty, but I've dealt with them before. It was probably one of the cheerleaders…

"Hey, Freak!" one of the high pitched voices of the female variety shrieked, coming from my left. I tried my best to ignore it; I knew I couldn't do anything since we were still on school campus. They couldn't do anything, either, so I didn't stop. It was times like these I was grateful that I didn't really pack anything in my backpack except for my notebooks for school. I could hike it up and run with it if I needed too; it helped me avoid the inevitable pounding I was likely going to get. Like mentioned before, I hate using my martial arts expertise against anyone who could not defend themselves properly.

"Hey, Freak! I was talking to you, Bitch!" the high pitched voice demanded again. It was impossible to ignore this time since the person tugged on my arms. Now, this was mainly out of annoyance, but I decided to see what the girl had to say. Turning, I felt a sense of satisfaction. I had guessed right. It was one of the cheerleaders – a blonde girl who was as clueless as ever.

I sighed again, shrugging her hand off my arm. As I danced out of her grip again, I continued walking out the way I had come. I heard the cheerleader scream and turned just in time to see her make a grab for my hair. I was surprised, so she was able to grab a chunk of my hair; she pulled it sharply, making me cry out in pain.

"You idiot! Don't you ignore me, bitch!" she shouted in my face. I was starting to get angry. I mean, couldn't she think of anything else to call me? I rolled my eyes and faced the cheerleader, patiently waiting until the girl's unhealthy facial color returned to normal.

"Yes? What is it that you want?" I asked, adjusting my backpack on my slender shoulders. Since she grabbed my hair my loose tee shirt pulled to the side, showing a couple of the scars on my back. She gasped, but sneered again, eyes narrowing in disgust. My shoulders, I was pleased to say, were toned from the various training I went through studying martial arts. The random cheerleader fumed at the tone of my voice, quickly balling her hand into a fist.

"Oh…you think you're so tough. Swinging your little twig around and smacking people with your palm. You don't even hit people with fists! You don't fight right." The cheerleader shouted, catching many people's attention. Most of them ignored it since this was an almost every day occurrence. I sighed, setting my bag down onto the ground, and came to a full turn to face the blond girl. I had to set her straight.

"Let me set the facts straight you idiotic imbecile. First of all it is not a stick. My weapon is a staff, made of wood or metal, and is called a Bo staff. Call it by its proper name why don't you? Secondly, the palm is a way of fighting. Some call it the Buddha palm and it is one of many techniques used in martial arts. We do punch with fists, but not all the attacks use clenched fists." I said curtly, glaring at the blond girl before turning around and picking up my backpack. I walked as fast as I could to the exit of the parking lot. I could feel that the cheerleader was fuming; she was about to screech again, but she obviously thought better of it as I glared at her with my jade irises.

Minutes after I left the school I arrived at my destination – the Dojo where I practiced my Kung-fu. My face split into the biggest grin that I could muster; I slid the door open as small cheers of joy echoed through the halls. I made my way to the main area of the compound and sauntered down one of the halls, towards the room with the lockers. I had my own special locker since I was one of the best students…and because I was one of the ones here the most. I liked to practice by myself most of the time, though.

I smiled, happily listening to the sounds of children practicing their martial arts. Now, Kung-fu is a forgotten art since many people don't practice it anymore…but somehow I find it enlightening and relaxing.

Once I had on my training clothes I emerged from the changing room. I headed down towards the practice room, ignoring the other students. I'm sure they were looking at me with questioning gazes, but I didn't care. Soon, they diverted their gazes back to their master when the realized who I was. I'm not trying to brag, but I was at one of the highest levels of martial arts being taught at the school. I'm even stronger than a couple of teachers, but that's because of all the training I put in with my spare time. I suppose someone of my level should always be shown the proper amount of respect.

I stood observing the rack of practice weapons that the Dojo had, soon choosing a lightweight wooden practice Bo to start my warm-ups with. I could feel the gaze of some of the younger students boring into the back of my head, but, once again, I didn't care. They were taking a break…and I don't mind people watching me; I was used to people watching me practice. I set the weapon to the side and completed my pre-weapon warm-ups, finally picking the Bo since I was ready to practice. I saw that the students were on a break; the teachers probably wanted them to watch me spar with the air.

I slowly swung my leg around in a clockwise direction; sure it was slow, but the movement contained a lot of force. I brought my other leg forward, bringing the Bo to rest in the crease of my first leg. I felt the students tense; they were watching my every move and I couldn't help but let a smile stretch across my face.

I didn't disappoint as I suddenly sprang forward, bringing the Bo up and above my head. I made sure that the strike was incredibly fast; it was almost too fast for normal eyes to trace. I stopped the wooden staff before it hit the ground, instead bringing it up and twirling around my back as I switched it to my other hand. The children gasped in amazement, watching me with eager eyes for the next hour and a half. What can I say? I have awesome endurance. Soon after the hour and a half mark passed I stopped, putting the finishing touch on a final move. I slammed the end of the wooden Bo into the floor and held it parallel to the wall.

The class began clapping in high respect for me as I finished my practice 'dance'. I blinked, coming back to reality as I blushed. My mind cleared and I realized that I was back in the Dojo. I smiled at everyone before replacing the wooden weapon back on the weapons' rack.

"Lady Ariya? Where did you learn to do that?" a small girl asked me, honoring me with the title of 'Lady'. I was speechless; not many would give me the title even though I had earned it. Males were usually addressed with the title of 'Master' and there were a few women who were even given a title at all…at least that was what I learned. I looked down at the small girl and smiled softly, crouching down so that the girl wouldn't have to crane her neck.

"Little one, I've had many masters, but I practice hard every single day. Hard work and perseverance plays a key part in becoming a martial arts Master or Lady." I said, bending down even further to ruffle the small girl's hair. She beamed up at me, promising to do her very best in order to become a lady, like me. I smiled again, standing and making my way out of the room. The students all parted like a wave, bowing as I passed. It was one of the perks of being experienced, I supposed. I called out a goodbye to the Masters in the room, bowing as I did so. I wasn't about to show my disrespect. They all nodded to me, allowing me to go unhindered to the changing room.

I changed back into my normal day clothes, a white tee and jeans, wanting to get home quickly so I could take a nice hot shower. Dad usually used all the hot water, so I wanted to get one before he used it all. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail, letting the silver hair flow down my back and out of my face. It still reached my mid back, though. I sighed as the matted mass of locks was finally out of my face and I was able to see. I waved goodbye to the students, smiling back when they waved with vigor, and went out the doors. In all it was a good day of about three hours practice and two hours of warm-ups and cool downs. I practiced before school, too.

It was nearly dark when I left the Dojo…it was a somewhat bad sign. I would take anybody who got in my way, but I didn't believe in using my abilities for harm, as previously stated multiple times. I pulled my backpack closer to my body as the night became a slight bit chillier. I hoped that I would make it home before Dad became drunk; when he was drunk he became a berserker and usually beat the shit out of me. I increased my pace, trying to make it across the neighborhood in record time in order to avoid all the punks. Unfortunately, I was unlucky.

"Hey, you!" a burly voice shouted at me; I halted, looking wildly around for the voice. A bright light suddenly shined in my eyes, making me squint. The light hurt! Sheesh! I knew that I had made a huge mistake when I was just standing there; something large and very, very hard made contact with my head. I kneeled, clutching my wounded head as something stick slid onto my fingers. I gasped lightly, trying to get my bearings, but something jerked my backpack. It was ripped from my shoulders as a foot caught me in the ribs; an audible snap was definitely heard and a sharp pain encased my side. A couple of ribs were probably broken.

"You gonna get was comin' to ya, foo'!" one of the gangsters shouted, twisting one of my legs from out from under me. I tried to look for a way out of the right of people, but by now it had become almost too dark to see. Luck was on her side, however, when a Master from the Dojo came walking down the sidewalk. He held a wooden practice sword by his side, effectively scaring the men. Upon seeing the Master the group sprinted away, calling back that they would 'get me later'. I grimaced, grabbing my backpack and dashing home.

I had hoped that my Dad was sleeping in front of the television, like he usually is after he got drunk. Unfortunately, all of the lights were on…I was out of luck. As soon as I was in the door a large, gruff hand caught hold of my rather long hair.

"And where were you, whore?" a deadly voice asked me; he was obviously drunk…but he want slurring his words. Not yet at least. I couldn't help but cower at the sight of him; his dark eyes glittered in the light.

"I…I was at the school…and then at the Dojo." I answered him honestly, gesturing to my backpack and quickly taking out the sweaty clothes inside for proof. Dad growled at me, throwing me painfully against the wall. I was about to get up, but he slammed his foot down on my injured ribs. Thanks, Dad. You just made them to crack more.

"I don't believe you. You are an ungrateful bitch, not even my own flesh and blood. I don't know why I take care of you since your mother was the one who adopted you and all. We don't even know where you come from!" My Dad yelled at me, slapping me hard across the face. My backpack was digging painfully into my spine as I hit the wall again.

I glared up at him, pushing away from him with all the remaining force I could muster. This was probably the only thing I felt comfortable to do to him, although it didn't require that much skill. Before he could reach me, I was climbing the stairs. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough to dodge the knife that came down on the back of my leg. My calf screamed, but I soon found myself screaming as well. I hated the feeling of blood running down the back of my leg. The sticky feeling made my skin crawl and I shuddered. I crawled up the rest of the stairs, making it to my room. I slammed the door shut, locking it as soon as I was fully in the room. Sighing, I sank to the floor. I was relieved that Dad had stayed downstairs instead of following me into my room.

I took a look around my room, which was quite different than the rest of my house, mind you. Instead of being dirty as crap it was meticulously clean, holding different types of weapons on racks and leaning up against the wall. Unfortunately, I couldn't afford a nice wooden or metal Bo staff.

I threw my backpack against the wall, kind of glad it was Friday. That means I don't have to do any homework. I grabbed a book that was lying close to my bed, smiling when she found that it was the one about the four Celestial Emblems of ancient China.

I looked out the curtain less window, watching the beauty of the stars. I was tired…but I knew that I wasn't supposed to fall asleep after being hit in the head several times. I could fall into a coma and never wake up, however, that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing. I lay back in the bed and watched the stars twinkling as my eyelids became heavy. Just as I was about to fall asleep I saw a shooting star streak across the sky. It was not an ordinary star for its tail was green instead of the normal colors.

"I wish that I could be somewhere I could belong. Somewhere I could be loved for who I am. Somewhere I can meet my true family." I whispered before finally falling asleep.

* * *

**Nobody's pov**

* * *

Up in the sky upon the back of a great dragon rode the Jade Emperor. He was watching over someone very special, someone who was sent away from her time in order to be protected but it seems like it wasn't working. He heard her wish and his eyes brightened, gathering his energy and making the hue of the dragon glow brighter. His power was infinite and he could do anything as long it was within the teachings.

He waved his hands and blew down upon her house, watching as the girl's image shattered in a thousand pieces, rearranging themselves one thousand years in the past…in ancient China.


	3. Where am I?

Thanks to Caeley who reviewed twice! I hope you enjoyed the little preview I gave you and happy early/belated Birthday for whenever it was!

-Kitsune

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Chapter Two

**Where…Am I?**

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**Nobody's POV**

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The wind was blowing gently through the strange area; there were no trees to block the gentle wisp of air that was moving the silver haired girl's hair. There were no buildings and there were no trees. There were no vehicles and there were no familiar wildlife. There was only a thin forest of bamboo surrounding the small patch of grass that the girl was lying on.

A small pool of blood was gathering underneath her left leg, staining the dirt and grass beneath her. It was the same leg that her father had stabbed the night before. Her shirt was torn in several places and was exposing her bruised, cracked ribs. Ariya had not bothered to change her clothing before she fell asleep the night before.

The silver haired girl was tossing and turning, causing the innocent grass to be crushed beneath her withering form. Birds chirped as they flew through the air, occasionally landing next to Ariya to watch her out of curiosity. The animals of the small bamboo thicket, like foxes and rabbits, came up next to her and curled up. They were trying to warm her body and protect her from the chilled morning air. If you looked a little further out you could see that the thicket was on top of an odd looking mountain; instead of having a point for a top it was wide and flat.

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Ariya's POV

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Suddenly, the swarm of inky blackness receded and a burst of white filled my vision. I bolted upright, a cold sweat dripping down my face. It was a bad decision, though; as soon as I sat up my side flared up in such intense pain. I couldn't help but cry out in agony as I heard the rips pop. Tears welled in my eyes and dripped down my face as I shuddered, trying not to cry out in pain once again. Every time I breathed it was like my ribs were breaking all over again. It was horrible; I don't think I've experienced such pain in a long time.

"Ouch…" I whimpered. I can't believe I was being such a baby, but it hurt. It hurt like a freaking bitch. I was crouched over and I was clutching my head; what the hell happened? I was sitting there, trying to remember what happened. I thought for a moment, but the thinking only brought on more pain. My head was pounding; I still couldn't remember what happened.

I listened to the sounds around me…but I didn't recognize anything. My eyes snapped open as I realized that I wasn't in my house anymore! I definitely wasn't there anymore…let alone in the city! I looked around frantically, trying to discern where I was. The bamboo was familiar; I knew that bamboo mostly grew in China…so that must be where I am. Or I was at least somewhere near China…but how in the world did I end up here?!

"Where…the hell? Am I in China?" I risked asking myself aloud, looking around again. One of the foxes pawed its way to my lap and nuzzled my face. I melted; foxes were adorable. If it wanted to stay in my lap then it was going to stay in my lap. I laughed softly, then cringed as another wave of pain snaked its way up my side. A tickle in the back of my throat caused me to start coughing; I spit out a little bit of blood when I was done. That wasn't a good sign.

I tried to get up, but I collapsed back onto the red tinted grass when my leg gave out on me. I gave up; giving a cry of despair while tears fell from my eyes. What was I going to do? The animals crowded around me; it was as if they were protecting me from some sort of danger as they all settled down around me. They were good company. They didn't say a word, as if they could, as I continued to let the tears cascade down my cheeks.

"My dear child. What are those tears for?" an elderly voice laden with wisdom asked me from behind. I froze, trying to remember where I had heard that voice before. It sounded so…familiar. The sound of robes scraping against grass reached my ears as I tried to turn; the pain was tremendous as I hissed in pain. A hand rested on my shoulder, effectively causing me to freeze and stay in place. I tried to crane my neck to see who was speaking to me, but the strange man walked in front of me before I could.

"Be calm, my dear. You are home, now, amongst family. There is no need to panic." He said, smiling softly down at me. Love shone through his aged eyes as he gazed down at my hunched form. I looked at him with a look akin to curiosity; why was he here? Who was he? As I looked over him I noticed he was dressed in ancient Chinese clothing. The most basic layer of clothing was his white under robe He was wearing a deep green robe over that, with an equally dark green sash. He wore a jade and black overcoat, which dragged slightly behind him, and his white hair was done up in a bun. A small golden box covered his hair, but his beard hung freely down his chest. It covered the collar of his robe and reached the top of his chest.

A sudden thought crossed my mind; I had read about the figure that was currently standing in front of me. Of course all of my reading had been of mythology, but I was sure that he was the majestic person from my Chinese mythology books. Well, there was one way to find out.

"Sir? Are you by chance…the Jade Emperor?" I whispered in awe, eyes sparkling with wonderment. Suddenly, the man bent down and embraced me. Holy shit, the Jade Emperor was hugging me! He was being careful, hugging me gently in order to avoid hurting me. His hug was…gentle I should say.

"Yes, my dear one. I am, indeed, the Jade Emperor. I am here to explain why you have arrived in the Middle Kingdom." He said, pulling back from his little embrace. I was still baffled; I hoped that his explanation wouldn't confuse me even more. He helped me sit up as a young buck came up behind me. He was a strapping young deer who let me lay my head on his soft flank. I smiled softly, looking up at the Jade Emperor as he continued his amazing story.

"My dear one. Have you ever wondered why you looked so different than the others? Have you ever wondered why you never knew your real parents? Why you never felt truly at peace until you were practicing Kung Fu? Well, my little one, I shall tell the story of a maiden by the name of Ariya." The great Emperor started telling the story. He seated himself upon a dry log. It was kind of comical; the Jade Emperor of all people was seated upon a dry wooden log! I gasped as he said my name; I was surprised. Who wouldn't be? I wondered why the girl in the story had the same name as me…they couldn't possibly be connected. We couldn't be the same person…could we?

All of the animals settled down around us in order to listen to the wise elder. The motion was soothing…and it kind of calmed me down from my previous hysteria. The dark green robes of the Jade Emperor billowed around him in some sort of nonexistent wind; it was an awesome effect. His robes settled around him, finally, and gave him a sort of regal look as he continued his story.

"Long ago, almost twenty years precisely, my wife, the Jade Empress, and I were longing for some sort of company. As we are immortal every living thing, all animals and people, are our children. It brings us great joy to watch our children grow, but we were longing for a child of our own to raise upon the Immortal Mountain. Finally, our prayers were answered when a child was born of jade. That was two years later." The wise man started, smiling softly down at mem. My eyes widened as my feeble mind tried to comprehend the Emperor's story. How can a girl be born of jade? I suppose it's possible; the Monkey King was born of stone.

"The child was blessed with beautiful green eyes and tresses the color of the full moon. The shiny silver was just astounding. We took her in and raised her until she was a year old. By then, evil was rising in the realm of the Middle Kingdom…and we had to send her away. It was one of the worst days of my life. When I used my celestial powers I was able to send her to the future realm of Earth; a country by the name of the United States of America. However, against our wishes, that babe was adopted by a cruel man and his loving wife; she grew to become a beautiful young lady, who is sitting before me once again." The elderly royal finished, tearing up as he stared at me.

I was shocked! I couldn't stop staring at the man before me. He was the Jade Emperor…and he was my father! I was home! It didn't matter what age he was or what he looked like, he was immortal for Pete's sake. I found my father and **that** is the only thing that mattered at the moment. I ignored the pain that jolted to life in both my leg and my ribs, rushing to hug my newfound father. Oh, I loved saying that word. Father...I loved it so much I decided to say it aloud.

"Father…" I whispered, no longer in control of my actions. I embraced the elderly man sitting before me; tears were no doubt falling down my face. The Jade Emperor instantly wrapped his arms around my lithe frame, tightening them as though I would run away. What a stupid and crazy thought; I had just found my father so why would I run away now?

"Oh, my dear one. How I've waited to have you in my arms once again, my little lotus." He sighed, stroking my disheveled hair. Both of us tearfully smiled as we pulled away; for such an old man he possessed a surprising amount of strength – he managed to pull me to my feet! I staggered, slightly dizzy from the amount of blood I had lost, but I eventually regained my balance with the help of the Jade Emperor. Scratch that. I had regained my balance with the help of my **father**. He led me out of the woods and into a beautiful garden; lotuses and roses of all kinds were blooming everywhere! In the center of the garden was a large peach tree. I was up to date in my Chinese mythology so I was guessing that the tree held the peaches of immortality.

"Sadly, my dear little lotus, we were forced to send you away before you could eat one of the peaches of immortality. From the peaches there is also a drink made for the banquet, called the Elixir of Life. The peaches are not ripe for the moment, but when they are you can eat one and stay with the Empress and I for the rest of eternity." My father said, smiling down at me. His expression was one filled with love; it almost brought a tear to my eye. We continued on until we reached a small pavilion, where several people, most likely servants, were waiting for us. It was almost as if they knew I would be coming.

A gorgeous woman with long ebony hair was sitting on a shining white silk pillow in the middle of the small pavilion. She was wearing an elegantly embroidered jade robe with a dark blue overcoat; there was a white sash tied tight around the robe. I was hesitant at first, but with some encouragement from father I stumbled forward and sat on the pillow in front of the woman. She looked at me with a curious expression embedded deep within her chocolate brown eyes. Our irises locked for a few seconds before a small smile blossomed upon the elder woman's face.

"Can it be? Ariya…my tiger lily?" she asked, tears starting to gather in her chocolate eyes. I nodded and laughed at the reference to the flower; I remembered, somewhat vaguely, but someone used to call me that.

I leaned forward and my mother happily embraced me; we gripped each other tightly as father returned with the palace doctor. When had he left? The doctor insisted that all of the males, besides himself, were to leave in order for him to wrap my wounds. The ladies in waiting stripped me of my clothes, which was a bit awkward, and mother gasped when she saw all of the bruises and blood that marred my body. The ladies brought in a basin full of hot water and cleaned the blood, which felt so **good**, and then the doctor wrapped a tight set of bandages around my ribs. That…hurt.

"Ouch!!" I exclaimed when it was time to stitch the wound on my leg. The doctor had me lay on my stomach as he stitched up the long gash on the back of my calf. Each time the needle pierced my skin I winced…but mother was there to hold my hand. I felt like a big baby, but there was a needle going in and out of my skin! When the stitches were done the doctor wrapped up the long wound in several yards of white bandages, and then he prescribed an herbal remedy to help relieve me of the pain. It still hurt to walk. We thanked the doctor as he left and the ladies rushed in with several different outfits.

By the time the ladies decided on an outfit I was quickly becoming annoyed. I mean it was a freaking outfit! How many layers do you need to a dress? I turned to mother and lightly tugged on her sleeve to gain her attention.

"Mother? Why can't I wear a simple button shirt and a pair of training pants? I was never really comfortable dressing up in flashy clothes…" I said, bowing my head in embarrassment. I didn't mean to be a bother and slightly flinched when a slender finger hooked underneath my chin. The finger brought my face up; jade eyes met chocolate as mother smiled, bringing me into a hug. She ordered the ladies to gather the clothes she needed and laid them on the pillow in front of me.

"There is no need to worry, my tiger lily. I remember you disliked the robes when you were but a mere child as well. I had to dress you in the males' training robes until you were sent away…" mother explained softly, hugging me once again. I didn't mind; I melted into the hug as I wrapped my arms around her as well.

I smiled, finally taking a look at the clothing the ladies brought. The outfit consisted of an emerald green traditional no-sleeved button up shirt with black training pants. There was a pearl white sash, to make the shirt a little bit more fitting, and to make the outfit complete, there was a pair of black slippers with a jade hair tie to hold back my hair. Laughing lightly I spun around in front of mother, clapping my hands in the process.

"Come here, my little lotus." Father called to me as he approached. In his hands was a majestic overcoat; it was just like his and mothers. It was a dark forest green with a grand phoenix embroidered in the back – it was a sign that I was a member of royalty. Father slipped the coat over my shoulders and embraced me in a hug; while we were hugging I happened to look over father's shoulder. There was this very creepy man; he had long dark hair and he was wearing a golden robe with a dark blue, almost black, overcoat. He smirked at me, winking, and turned to walk back through the gardens. I managed to catch a glimpse of the back of the jacket; there was a great ice blue dragon embroidered upon it. He wasn't good.

"Father? Who was the man wearing the blue overcoat with the dragon?" I asked innocently enough. To tell you the truth he creeped me out…a lot. I pulled away from father as he looked behind him. He faltered slightly, giving me a bad feeling, as he grimaced at the look the man was giving me. Father sighed and turned back to me, shaking his head.

"That man…I want you to stay away from him. He is evil and corrupt, but the only way I can keep tabs on him is to give him the name Jade Warlord. I really don't want you talking to him and if he 'tries anything' I want you to tell me." father said, staring intently into my eyes. I get it now. This 'Jade Warlord' is a pervert. I smiled at him and nodded, but my curiosity got the better of me. I guess mother noticed my curious nature as she came over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Why don't you explore the palace, tiger lily? Then you can get acquainted with your new…as well as old home." She said, smiling at father. He smiled back at her, handing me a wooden Bo staff to help me walk. I chuckled lightly; I could use it as a walking stick. Father said something about using it to help me walk since I was supposedly still weak from the blood loss. That was totally true. I stood, leaning on my staff as I watched my parents walk away. Man, I can't get over having a real family. Nobody could know how happy I was at this moment. I was still smiling at myself as I lifted myself in a standing position, wandering out of the small pavilion. Soon, though, I found myself completely lost. I, and this is a true confession, am completely directionally retarded…or should I say impaired?

"Just great." I moaned, completely unaware of the eyes that were following me as I made my way through the small palace gates. The whole palace was huge; I was just going to another part of the gardens! I smiled to myself as I realized that I had actually managed to reach the outer grounds of the palace. There was a small creek running in the distance. I looked around, adjusting the sash around my waist, and I was still unaware of the fact that someone was following me. The person managed to elude my sight by jumping from tree to tree, eyes never leaving my body. I think he was inspecting me, since I felt eyes on me at times, but it wasn't in the lecherous way that the Jade Warlord had been.

I smiled again when I found a small area out to the side of the compounds. I had a feeling that someone was following me then; I saw a small shadow behind me, but it stopped when I did. The shadow's caster hid in the multiple branches of a large tree. I stopped smiling as I started stretching the kinks out of my backs and legs; I winced as my ribs popped, so I straightened up once again. I still didn't see the man who had been following me; he was creeping up behind me slowly…and he carried an iron rod the color of the sun.

"Mm, the sun sure feels good…"I sighed, climbing to stand on a high rock face and bask in the sunlight. Suddenly, the man who had been following me stepped on a twig, snapping it with his weight. He froze as I twirled around, eyes widening in shock as my jade eyes met with his golden orbs. A sharp pain flashed through my side, making me gasp. It hurt worse than the stitches! Black dots swam before my eyes, causing my vision to darken and my world to become dizzy. I shook my head before everything went dark. I could still hear, but my vision was no more for the time being.

"NO!" the man exclaimed as I fell, weakly releasing the grip I had on my staff. He must have propelled himself forward…or something since I heard the small patters of feet and the clang of iron against rock. My vision returned as he slid forward, catching me before I hit the ground below the tall rock formation I had been standing on.

The mysterious man set me on the ground; come to think of it there was something wet staining my clothes. He gently lifted my overcoat and gasped when he saw the small pool of blood soaking my clothes. It had happened enough to me before that I wasn't all that surprised. The mysterious man was about to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding, but I hasped softy, drawing his gaze back to my jade irises.

"Don't…" I whispered, lowering my head in shame. It was bad enough that he had to catch me, but now he had seen me in one of my rare moments of weakness. I had to change the topic of the coming conversation.

"You caught me?" I whispered again, slowly sitting up. The mysterious man was kind enough to wrap his arm around my shoulders, helping me to sit up against the rough terrain of the rock. I looked at him again, gasping this time. He cocked his head to the side, grinning in the manner he was famous for. I pointed a finger at him as my blood started pumping in excitement. I smiled brightly at him and sat up straighter; he could probably tell that I recognized him.

"You're the Monkey King!"


	4. The Monkey King

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY CAELEY!! THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO YOU!!**

**To my reviewers:**

**Caeley - Thank you so much! It is a good thing to review once but you have reviewed my last chapter THREE times! That is one of the reasons this chapter is dedicated to you. I'm sorry about your bunny. '( Jet Li is an awesome actor and I'm glad that you named your bunny after him. Thanks for your reviews!**

**X2 Aeon Darkness IX - Thanks for your review! Every review is appreciated and I will try to update more!**

**Tell your friends about my fanfictions!!**

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Chapter Three

**The Monkey King**

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**Ariya's POV**

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I believe that I stumbled somewhat. You couldn't blame me; I was shocked beyond belief. The white-golden hair, which hung in a high ponytail. The martial arts training outfit made of well worn cloth and leather. The beaten old leather protectors. The cheerful grin. The legendary Nyoi-bo. It was **the Monkey King**.

The man from my dreams was real! Then…did that mean that everything in my previous dream was real as well? I shook my head, refusing to believe that something so wonderful could be a dream…well, except for the part where I died, of course. The silly grin etched onto his face was replaced by a friendly smile. His friendly smile quickly turned into an alarmed look as I shakily stood and took a step back. Suddenly, the rock under my feet turned into thin air…and I began falling backward off the small cliff we were standing on.

I seriously thought that I had more rock behind me, but apparently the feeling of air told me otherwise. I felt my foot hit air and the feeling of falling hit me almost instantly. My heart froze and the breath stilled in my chest; I was terrified. I gasped in surprise and fear; I had never been fond of heights in general. My eyes were wide as they locked onto the Monkey Kings'; they were begging him to help me.

"Aah!" I managed to choke out as I fell from the rock, which was quite high may I add. I had managed to climb pretty high before I had met the Monkey King. The pressure of the falling air did nothing to help except to push the air from my already aching lungs. I was falling in a slow motion type style; tears were slowly seeping from my eyes. The other, smaller, rock I had fallen from was nothing like this! The Monkey King wasn't at fault for bringing me here, though. He didn't know about my dislike of heights.

I was still terrified; nothing save a beating from my…not-father had ever made me feel this way. I was able to grab onto the edge of the cliff but soon my arms were giving away. I was simply too weak at the moment. My hand slipped and I gave up, letting go of the edge. I looked up as I let go, noticing that the Monkey King's expression changed to horrified.

He dashed forward just after I let go; he was holding his Nyoi-bo close as he raced forward, propelling himself from where he was standing. He jumped off the rock, a determined expression now perched upon his face. I suppose he would feel guilty if I died just after he found me. He grabbed onto my forearms and dug the Nyoi-bo into a crevice in the side of the mountain rock face. We jerked to a stop as the Monkey King wrapped his legs around his Bo, causing me to wince as the bandages pulled at my ribs. That hurt…but he saved me so I won't complain.

"Wow, twice in one day, huh? You're either a damsel in distress or you really like being caught by me." the Monkey King joked, raising an eyebrow as he spoke. I forced the pain away as I looked up at him, chuckling. I grinned back at him, hiding the fact that my ribs were hurting like hell. It wasn't his fault; he saved my life. I subconsciously tilted my head to the side; I was told that it was something I liked to do when I was flirting with someone.

"Oh, definitely. It's my life's ultimate goal to be swept off my feet by you." I joked back, raising one of my eyebrows to taunt him. I stuck my tongue out, giggling like a little child all the while. We laughed again, even harder than before, but I had to stop when a sharp pain seared up my side. I had forgotten about my ribs. I winced, bowing my head to the side in a coughing fit; I didn't want to get my spit on him. The feeling was gross; I could feel the blood or fluid travelling up my throat. I had either scratched or punctured one of my lungs…which was bad.

"Are you alright, my beautiful stranger?" the Monkey King asked, not bothering to cover the worry in his voice. Personally I felt touched; he was worried about a complete stranger! I was startled by the tone of his voice as well. He was only the fourth person to have ever shown interest in me. The first would be my adoptive mother…but she had died when I was young. The second would be my 'real' mother and father…even though they weren't…but oh well. Now, here was the man in front of me. I turned to look at him and smile softly, though it did little to help the situation.

"I think I'm fine. It's my ribs…I think I'll be better if I'm back on solid land. Then, my abdomen wouldn't be stretching as much." I explained, winded and struggling to breathe. His eyes stayed concerned as he grinned at me, worry still evident in his amber eyes. The next thing he did startled me; he started swinging back and forth, swinging me as he went. He tried to do it as gently as possible, I could tell by the way he was holding me, but winced every time I let out a whimper. I couldn't help it. It hurt.

Soon enough, the momentum caused us to swing back up onto the flat side of the mountain, but the effort caused my vision to be claimed by floaters. They were little black dots that swam back and forth in front of my eyes. I stumbled, my knees gave out on me, only to be caught by the Monkey King once again. He picked me up in a bridal style; his Nyoi-bo was safely nestled in its holder on his back.

"That's tree times you've caught me." I mumbled, smiling slightly. I couldn't hold a straight face, however, and I soon started coughing again. When I was done I looked back up at the now serious face of my savior. I couldn't get over the fact that I was standing in front of the real live Monkey King. He looked somewhat alarmed at the small trail of blood flowing from my mouth, and he surprised me by wiping it away with the edge of his tunic sleeve. He shouldn't have done it; now his tunic was stained with blood. It was like a trance; we stared into each other's eyes before blinking rapidly, looking away. He jumped down gracefully, unlike what I could have done at the moment, and set me on one of the stone benches. By then we were both blushing lightly.

"Your eyes are unlike the others. Instead, they glow like mine. Are you born from the mountain as well?" he asked, fingering my long moonlit colored tresses; in all honesty, I liked him doing that. I gazed into his amber eyes and smiled softly. I couldn't believe this, either. In the past single day I had smiled more than in the past ten years.

"Close, but not quite. Unlike you, you were born from the Mountain, I was born from jade. I was adopted by the Emperor and Empress." I explained. I suppose it took a while for the news to sink it since it was a couple of seconds before his eyes widened dramatically. He had been laughing and joking from the Emperor's daughter; there was nothing special about that, was there? Apparently I was wrong.

The Monkey King's eyes widened even more, if that were even possible, and he snatched back his hand as if it were on fire. He must have seen the hurt look in my eyes as he backed away; his expression turned to one of guilt. I had heard about him, though. Apparently he had a few problems with the Jade Emperor…my father. If he were free from his imprisonment, or maybe he hadn't been imprisoned yet? He must be on good terms with my father, but if he got on his bad side then he was as good as dead. No matter if he were immortal!

The Monkey King jumped away from the bench and bowed low, bringing his Nyoi-bo from his back as an act of submission. I didn't get why, though. He was, by far, a superior martial artist. Perhaps he realized I was above him in rank, suppose? I **am** a Celestial Princess, after all. Bah, I hate that title. I raised an eyebrow, confused by his antics.

"Please forgive me for touching you, Your Highness. I had no knowledge that you were of the royal family, my Princess." He said, stuttering slightly. I was still kind of confused, but it was cute in a way. His face was even flushed. Then, it hit me. I was a person in another country, let alone another time period, so of course there were going to be different customs. How dense can I be sometimes?

"Please…" I said, reaching forward to touch the Monkey King's shoulder. I had him stand, the bowing was sorta creeping me out, and then I had him look into my eyes.

"Call me Ariya. Don't bother with the 'Princess' or 'Your Highness' bit. I was raised in a different world since I was but a year old. I'm not used to your customs…plus I like our friendship more than your services as a servant." I said kindly, a serene smile stretching on my face as I poked him in the chest. He looked up at me, grinning once again as he bowed with a flourish. I laughed happily, noting that he was comfortable around me again.

"If I am allowed to call you Ariya, then call me by my true name. Only between the two of us, alright? If people knew my true name then they could use it against me; an immortal's true name is one of their biggest weaknesses." He said, poking me in the shoulder. Apparently he got over his issue of touching me. I nodded excitedly as he bent over and whispered his name in my ear, his breath sending shivers down my spine. It was an odd sensation…and I liked it.

He pulled away, much to my disappointment, and stared at me; I suppose he was taking in my physical features. I don't know why it bothered me…I suppose that it was because I wasn't used to people looking at me. I only knew what I saw of myself; my eyes, like the Monkey King's, sparkled in excitement. My hair shone in the full moon, which was now casting its beam upon the mortal realm. My full lips puckered out whenever I was in thought…but then again a blush was now usually dusted across my face. I didn't know if he liked what he saw…I mean I thought I was pretty normal looking.

"Moonbeam." He suddenly stated, pulling me out of my thoughts. He flicked his long white hair over his shoulder, grinning down at me as I processed what he said. I only looked at him, confused at the random outburst.

"Moonbeam?" I asked him, blushing again as he went back to fingering my hair. He nodded, smiling happily and chuckling at my confused expression. Personally, him stringing his fingers through my hair felt…good.

"Yes. Moonbeam. It is what I shall call you for your hair shines like the beam from the full moon. It is simply…breathtaking." He stated, causing a smile to spread upon my face. I had never been complimented so much in my life before. He pulled me over to him and we sat underneath a large tree; he pulled me down so that my head was in his lap so that he could continue to finger my hair. My cheeks were probably burning; I had never been in this kind of position with anybody before. The Monkey King obviously didn't mind so I wasn't going to say anything.

"Moonbeam…I like it." I said, looking up at his face. He smiled happily and began to stroke my hair again. Did I mention that it felt so **good**? I didn't mind…and it actually felt like we had known each other for years. We sat for hours just talking about nothing. Then, The Monkey King asked me a question that I would rather not have answered. I couldn't just…not answer it, though. He had been kind enough to answer all my questions.

"What were your mother and father like in the other world?" he asked, looking down into my eyes. I was trapped; I couldn't lie to that face. I couldn't help it though; as I bit my lip I felt hot tears welling in my eyes. The Monkey King's own eyes widened before he leaned down, touching his forehead with mind. I could tell that I made him feel bad.

"Please forgive me, Moonbeam. It was not my intention to make you cry. You do not have to answer the question." He whispered, wiping away my tears with his thumbs. I shook my head and smiled sadly back up at him.

"No…it might help if I talk about it." I said, staring into his concerned gaze. It was drawing me in.

"I was taken in by a couple when I was a young child. The woman was wonderful; she really and truly acted like my mother. She loved and pampered me even though I was not her own. She acted like I was a princess, even though I didn't know I was one at the time. My mother's name was…Minami." I said, smiling at the many fond memories. Then, my smile quickly turned into a frown when I remembered my father.

"My…father is a different story. I would rather not talk about him, but I will since I trust you." I said quietly, looking down at the bandage on my leg. I had not forgotten what he had done to me. My pant leg had rolled up so that you could see the bandages more clearly. The Monkey King looked down at them also, eyes narrowing at the sight of the dried blood upon the bandages.

"My…father was furious when mother took me in. He would ignore us and go out drinking with friends. He would come home drunk. He would verbally abuse us, more often than not he directed it at me. My mother tried to defend me, but he would usually ignore her." I said, swallowing the lump that was forming in my throat. I was trying to be strong, but that wall I built long ago was crumpling. Eventually, I gained the strength back in my voice and continued the story. I was being calmed by the gentle touch of the fingers that were still running through my hair.

"Then, when I was a little girl of ten, he murdered my mother. He pushed her down the stairs. I saw the whole thing and he threatened me with my life if I told anyone. Then, that was when…the beatings began." I finished, pulling up the sleeves of my coat to reveal the worn, old scars that was marring my skin. They crisscrossed, creating an ugly design. By then the Monkey King had stopped stroking my hair, but he had pulled me into a tight embrace. The tears were freely running down my cheeks and he was rubbing little circles on my back.

I didn't know this at the time but the Jade Warlord had been watching our every move. The Warlord smirked to himself as he watched us get to know one another. He could see the almost invisible bond that we were creating. It was like a thin line connecting our hearts together. The Warlord was most likely formulating an evil plan to take down the beloved Monkey King once and for all. This is the part that made me gag; he planned to take me as his own. When I became his he would kill my father, becoming the ruler of the Middle Kingdom once and for all.

I jumped back when I realized my tears had soaked through the Monkey King's tunic; I had ruined his shirt! I backed away, apologizing, all the while looking at the ground out of embarrassment.

"I apologize. You must think that I'm being such a crybaby. I've been crying for most of our conversation." I said, blushing once again and looking away. I looked back up at him when I heard chuckling; he was laughing at me! I cocked my head to the side and smiled shyly as he continued to laugh. It was…refreshing. His kind of laughter was warm and comforting, instead of the cold and cruel laughter of the people from my school.

"Now, you must forgive me for laughing, but you are very much the opposite of a crybaby. Don't worry about the tunic – I have plenty more. I am just glad I could spend the day with someone as lovely as you." He said, winking and smiling mischievously. We locked eyes and we were closing in. We were so close that we could feel the breath on each other's faces. This was it; we were about to kiss, but we jumped apart when someone cleared their throat.

"Excuse me, princess, but the Emperor wishes to see you. And, if I may suggest, Highness, that you stay away from such beasts as that one there." the cruel voice of the Jade Warlord rang out from behind the pair. The Monkey King glared at the dark haired figure before standing and offering a hand to me. The Warlord offered a hand as well, but I ignored it, taking the Monkey King's hand instead. Personally, I was going to heed father's advice; the Warlord creeped me out big time.

"I think I can tell the right kind of friends myself, thanks." I said, quoting Harry Potter and glaring at the dark haired man. I subtly slipped a clip from my hair and slid it into the Monkey King's hand. Now he would have to see me later if he wanted to return it.

"I'll see you later, Snowflake." I whispered into his ear while the Warlord glowered at the two of us. I kissed him on the cheek and turned, walking out of the gardens. I didn't bother waiting for the Warlord to follow me.

"Indeed we will…" the Monkey King whispered, tightening his grip on the clip, and walking out of the garden himself. I couldn't believe it but one of the servants said they had seen it themselves. I giggled at the thought; maybe it was meant to be?


	5. So, We Meet Again

**Authoress note: I'm so sorry I couldnt update sooner but this one is longer than the others!! I also don't own the Jonas Brothers song "A Little Bit Longer"!**

**Thank you to all my reviewers!**

**Caeley: Thank you so much for making me a Youtube video! It means a lot that someone would take their time to make something like that for me. And 5 reviews! It means even more that you enjoy my story so much. **

**Syd-man: Thanks for the review!**

**Lustfullkiller: I know! The Monkey King was my favorite character and I was so sad that he didnt get much screen time. I thought that making a story would express how much I like him. **

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Chapter Four

**So, We Meet Again.**

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**Nobody's POV**

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The early morning sun shone through the immense Jade garden, causing the flowers to sparkle merrily in the daylight. Birds chirped merrily as they flew through the garden, nestling on the branch above where a familiar warrior was lounging. The Monkey King was lying upon one of the highest branches in the tree in the center of the garden, where he and the Princess Ariya had first met. He was twirling the small hair clip in his left hand, his right holding onto his Nyoi-bo. The white haired warrior didn't have to worry about falling from the tree; he had an impeccable sense of balance.

The great immortal warrior sighed, flicking his hair over his shoulder subconsciously. He threw the clip high in the air and then caught it when it came crashing back down towards the Earth. It had been three days since he had last spoken to the silver haired beauty, and he was anxiously trying to find a way to talk to her. He had tried to come up with numerous plans to talk to her, but each seemed more ridiculous than the last. He couldn't just waltz up to her and sweep her off her feet, could he? She was a Princess!

Of course The Monkey King had been trying to get the Princess alone but that blasted Jade Warlord had always managed to drag her away. He wanted to confront him outright, but he knew the tensions between them were high. He didn't want to get in trouble with Ariya's father, either.

Surprisingly, the grand Emperor and his Empress had taken a small liking to him, giving him permission to befriend their daughter. He was thrilled and couldn't stop grinning when he thought of her smile. The way it sparkled in the moonlight when they had talked…he couldn't get the image from his head! The Monkey King had wanted to talk to her so badly. He gripped the small and fragile hair clip tightly in his hand as a look of determination appeared upon his face. He was going to talk to her if it cost him his life - metaphorically speaking, of course.

The skilled martial artist jumped off the tree branch, and bounded to the ground. He stayed close to the shadows, sneaking soundly out of the garden and into the palace. The warrior pressed himself up against the walls, sneaking around all of the servants. It was a piece of cake; he was like a ninja. Since the Monkey King was a naturally mischievous person he got in quite a bit of trouble, and caused some annoyance among the servants when he pulled his pranks. He ducked behind a rather large vase when a servant girl walked by, skirts swishing behind her. He grinned happily, enjoying the fact that he could hide easily.

"My Lady! My Lady Ariya! Where are you!?" another servant shouted, running frantically past the vase in the opposite direction. The Monkey King furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Wasn't Ariya with the Jade Warlord? The evil Warlord was supposed to be her escort for the first few weeks of her stay at the palace so she wouldn't get lost. Suddenly, the beautiful Princess appeared in front of the vase, bent over and slightly out of breath.

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**Ariya's POV**

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I could feel his eyes watching me and to tell you the truth it was kind of unnerving. It bore straight into my soul, that look of his. The Jade Warlord was an evil and malicious person; I couldn't stand to be around him any longer. As I was running through the halls, away from that heathen of a man, I spotted a large vase that I could hide behind. Then, that servant had to go shout my name. The Warlord probably wouldn't be too far behind, now.

"Shh! I'm hiding from the Warlord! You would understand if he were chasing you…" I whispered, but it wasn't harsh. My voice seemed more like frantic and a tad bit scared. Well, it kind of was. In a way I was terrified of the Warlord since I couldn't fight back with my wounds. I looked around, obviously trying to see if the Jade Warlord was lurking around any corners. Knowing him, he would be lurking in a corner just to piss me off. I heard a snicker somewhere behind the vase and caught a glimpse of white hair; it must have been the Monkey King! He looked pleased that I hated the Jade Warlord as much as I did. He gripped something in his fist, but he was gentle enough so that whatever he was holding didn't break.

I turned back to the servant, relieved as she nodded her head. Apparently, she understood why I didn't want to be with the Warlord. I sighed in relief and that was when the Monkey King realized that I wasn't in my usual embroidered training clothing. I could feel his eyes raking over my frame; my face was probably glowing from the attention I was receiving. I was wearing a soft flowing silver dress, a sash of ebony tied around my waist. The dress shimmered in the daylight, reaching to my feet, and I was wearing nice black slippers. The Monkey King frowned, probably wondering why I was all dressed up. He made a move; it looked like he was going to reveal himself, but someone else got to me first.

"There you are, _Highness._ I've been looking for you." a vicious voice caught my attention. Oh no, the Warlord had found me! The Monkey King obviously recognized the voice as the Warlord's; his eyes narrowed out of hatred. Maybe if we were lucky he could jump out and save me from having to deal with the Warlord. Man, I wish he could read my mind. He could 'kidnap' me out from underneath the Jade Warlord's nose! It would annoy the Warlord and hopefully he would be in my favor. He just had to wait for the right opportunity.

"Would you please leave me alone?" I asked narrowing my eyes at the Jade Warlord. No matter how brave I tried to seem I couldn't stop my voice from trembling in fear. I saw the Monkey King inch over to the edge of the giant vase, peeking around the corner to see what the two of us were up to. What he saw made his blood boil apparently; his grip on the vase tightened enough to leave cracks.

I was terrified. This man honestly scared me; he scared me more than all of my tormentors combined. I backed up against the wall, leaning my head away from his face. The Monkey King saw me…why wouldn't he do anything? The Warlord was towering up against me, pinning me to the wall with his body. He was not so subtly tracing my stomach with one hand while the other was gripping my shoulder hard enough to bruise. It definitely hurt. I wish he would just leave me alone…

"Now why would I do that, _My Lady?"_ he sneered, pushing himself up against my body. I couldn't breathe, but the Monkey King couldn't attack him. He was smart; he knew that attacking him would only make the Warlord angrier than he already was. I could tell that he was weighing his options, but The Monkey King's eyes widened dramatically when the Warlord roughly grabbed onto one of my breasts and shoved his lips onto mine. Oh god, he was touching me! I mean in a sexual way! I was going to have nightmares for sure… tears came to my eyes as I struggled, but my wounds hindered my escape. That was when the Monkey King decided to make himself known.

The white haired warrior plucked a hair from the side of his face, concentrating his chi energy to make it turn into a carbon copy of himself. I had read about that particular ability in one of my Chinese mythology books. The Monkey King's copy smirked, bounding off to where the Warlord was molesting me; I had never been as relieved as I had been right then. The fake Monkey King dashed towards the two of us and roughly pushed the Warlord off of me, sticking his tongue out at the fuming Warlord. The Warlord dropped his grip from me, jumping back to strike at the fake Monkey King, but the fake Monkey King dodged, running down the hallway with the Warlord in hot pursuit. It would have been considered quite comical if I hadn't been so distressed.

I closed my eyes closed as hot tears streamed down her cheeks. I pressed myself against the wall, sliding down until she was sitting on the ground. Shrinking down, I tried to become as invisible as I felt; it was a habit of mine when I wanted to disappear. I wrapped my arms around my knees and cried into my arms; my sobs were unknowingly tearing at the Monkey King's heart. The real Monkey King was by my side instantly, gently wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

I couldn't help but jump; I thought that the Warlord was back to finish the job. I jerked my head up and let out a sigh of relief when I realized that it was just the white haired warrior. He smiled softly at me and made a ridiculous face, causing me to burst out giggling as I wiped at her tears. One final lone tear fell down my face and he gently wiped it away with his thumb. We gazed into each other's eyes until we heard heavy footsteps coming our way. It was time for us to depart.

"Hey, Moonbeam! What do you say we get out of here?" he asked, carefully helping me to stand. I nodded, not trusting my voice to say anything at the moment; it's kind of like if I said anything I would suddenly burst out crying. I've done it before – y'know and it's totally random? I would open my mouth and would burst into tears again. I just wanted to forget the moment and spend time with my new close friend. Man, at the rate he's going he's going to become my best friend – fast.

The Monkey King nodded his head and bent down, picking me up bridal style. I still wasn't used to being picked up that way; I had to refrain from kicking my legs and demanding to be put down. I, in turn, held his Nyoi-bo in my hands as the white haired warrior sprinted down the hall. Whoever said that the Monkey King was barbaric was totally wrong; he's a sweetheart. He was being mindful of my wounds the entire way.

I shut my eyes and leaned my head on the Monkey King's chest, sighing sadly about what had occurred. It was true that I thought the Jade Warlord was evil, but did he really have to attack me like that? Now I'm going to be jumpy for weeks on end. I didn't want to seem weak in front of a person of such strong character, though. The Monkey King was there…he must think that I can't take care of myself now.

The white haired warrior looked down at me and his gaze softened from its previous hardened position. They had been rock hard when they looked at the Jade Warlord; that was when he had me pressed up against the wall. I broke our gaze and he softly sighed, sprinting down the entrance hallway he had apparently 'broken into'. Soon we were outside and were making our way to the Jade Gardens; to the tree where we first met.

I was first unstable when he set her down on her feet; I if it hadn't been for him I probably would have fallen on my face. He was being such a gentleman; he wrapped an arm around my waist to steady me. I could tell that he was a little bit uncomfortable…I had momentarily forgotten that I was in a different time period. I quickly balanced myself and the Monkey King deftly removed his arms from around my waist. The white haired warrior looked so cute with a small blush working its way to his cheeks.

"Thank you so much, Snowflake. I…don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there for me." I whispered, laughter embedded in my voice at the nickname. He beamed at me, finally realizing that I had called him something other than the 'Monkey King.' I had bestowed upon him a nickname of his very own.

"Oh, a nickname for a nickname I see. Now we are even, my dear Moonbeam." He said, wiggling an eyebrow at me. I couldn't help it! Laughter erupted from my lips from deep within my stomach; it hurt, but I withstood the pain. Curse my injured ribs!

I nodded and handed him back the precious weapon of metal. I wonder why he let me hold onto it when he could have just put it safely within its holster. The Monkey King attached the Nyoi-bo to his back and swiftly scooped me into his arms again. I shrieked with laughter as he jumped up into the giant peach tree; it seemed like my life would hold a lot of gayety from this point on. Still giggling, I forgot all about my horrible experience with the Jade Warlord. Once they reached the top he set me down on a sturdy branch, watching me as I dangled my feet over the edge. Being the 'brave' person I was, I started swinging them back and forth; the skirt of my dress fluttered in the breeze. The wind blew gently, causing my hair to swiftly float in the tranquil air. He once told me that I had been captivating him with my beauty and that I just didn't know it at the time.

"Yes. Your hair reminds me of a snowflake because it's so white. How did it become this color? Were you born with it like I was with mine?" I inquired, turning to him and picking up a lock of his hair. He really needed something else to tie his hair up with; the lock of hair that I was holding had fallen over his shoulder once again. He looked back and forth between his hair and my hand, finally making the realization that I was correct.

"Yes, I suppose so…and I was born with light hair, but it's turning a yellow-white. When I finally reach enlightenment it will get darker – probably a straw color – and then turn to pure white, like your father's. I like it, but yours shines like the beam of the full moon." He countered, sticking his tongue out at me. I laughed and stuck my tongue out at him as we playfully continued to banter at one another. Finally, we laid back as I laid my head on his chest, letting him wrap an arm around my waist; I trusted him and he was careful not to bring up her skirt. He slipped the mighty Nyoi-bo from his back as it hung near his side, attached to his belt. He may be playful and mischievous but he was in no way a pervert. I admired him for that quality.

We laid on the sturdy tree branch, content in watching the birds fly by and sing their songs to the two of us. An hour passed before the Monkey King remembered why he wanted to talk to me in the first place. He looked down at me as I looked up, confused by the sudden movement that he made.

"Moonbeam, I have something of yours that I wish to return." He said, smiling softly. My eyes widened in realization before they returned to their normal state. He had kept the clip that I gave him! Truth be told I only gave it to him as an excuse so that he would be able to see me in the palace, but I'm glad he kept it anyway. I smiled softly as well, leaning up as the man behind me brought out a shiny green clip from his pocket. It was in the shape of a leaf and was carved out of jade. He gathered my hair from the left side of my face and pulled it behind my ear, securing it in the medium sized clip. He turned me to survey his work and was quite pleased when he saw that it complimented my eyes. He must not have realized that it was the same jade color as my eyes.

"You are very beautiful…Moonbeam" he said, looking into my eyes. The blunt comment caused me to blush tremendously, but I didn't look away. I was actually feeling very comfortable in his arms. The two of us continued to look in each other's eyes and we slowly leaned forward, inching closer until their faces were about to touch. Our lips brushed over each other's and we were about to kiss until we heard someone clear their throat.

The two of us jumped apart, blushing furiously, as we looked to see who disrupted us. Oh god! It was my mother! Mother stood underneath the tree, accompanied by four handmaidens. The girls behind the Empress were giggling while the Empress herself was smiling slyly. She winked at me, causing my already blushing face to deepen.

"Mother!" I gasped, jumping away from the Monkey King's embrace. I had to smile apologetically to the man behind me, but he only shook his head, motioning me towards mother. Being the gentleman that he was he scooped me up in his arms bridal style and jumped out of the branch, landing in front of the Empress and her handmaidens. He bowed, taking my hand, and kissed it causing me to blush and the handmaidens to whisper quietly behind their hands. Mother smiled knowingly as she beckoned me daughter with her hand. The whole experience was rather traumatizing, but I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

"I must go. Mother is waiting for me. Will…I see you later?" I asked him, looking into his eyes with mine filled with hope. He grinned and nodded, trying not to seem too eager. The handmaidens started giggling again, which was kind of getting on his nerves – he told me that later. He also told me that he would put up with anything if it would let him spend time with me. He was such a romantic.

"I will always await your appearance, but now you must go. Take care and rest if you want to heal those wounds of yours." he said softly, prodding me in the direction of her mother. I couldn't help but smile brightly at him and nodded, pulling up the skirts of my dress as I darted in the direction of and darting up to her mother. I turned around one more time and blew a kiss before hurrying back towards the palace.

Sneaking a glance over my shoulder, I saw that The Monkey King stood rooted in place for a little while. He was thinking about something; hopefully he was thinking about me. I had to admit that I was quickly growing fond of him; I only hope that he was growing fond of me as well.

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Nobody's POV

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Around one month later the silver haired Princess and the white haired warrior were as close as ever. The Monkey King's feelings grew slowly, but surely, stronger, but he was sure that Ariya harbored no such feelings for him. The two of them met up at their tree at noon every day and had a picnic in the almost perfect shade. Today, the Princess was running a tad bit late.

Ariya was hurrying through the palace hallways, trying to hold in her laughter. The palace seemed to be filled with her bubbly laughter these days. It made the place seem so much more cheerful. The silver haired Princess was wearing another dress, the second of the week. Her mother insisted that she wear it if she wanted to get the attention of the Monkey King. After a couple of futile attempts at resistance, Ariya finally gave up and wore the dress.

It was a dark shade of ebony, embroidered with small lilies around the neckline and along her long sleeves. On her feet she wore black slippers with an embroidered lily on each of those as well. The Monkey King was her best friend and it wasn't like she had a crush on him…right? She rounded the corner and came face to face with a disgruntled Jade Warlord. He looked like he was angry at the world…well more so than usual. His upper lip was curled into a snarl; he was infuriated.

The silver haired Princess couldn't hold in her laughter anymore as she doubled over in her mirth. The Warlord's entire face was the color of blood, but his hair was a bright blue color. How in the world had that happened?! It was probably the work of the mischievous Monkey King. Ariya couldn't take it anymore so she turned around and scurried down another corridor, hoping to get to the exit before she exploded from all of her laughter. Once she got to the archway of the Jade Gardens she slowed down, noticing that their daily picnic was already set up.

"Hey there, Moonbeam. Your late…" a soft voice whispered in her ear as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, picking her up and twirling her around. Over the past month they had grown more comfortable around each other and were used to the physical contact. It was like they couldn't get enough of each other.

"Snowflake! Did you put berry juice in the Warlord's hair oils again? I ran into him on my way over here." she said, laughing once again as he set her upon the ground. He looked over her shoulder at the picnic and even though she couldn't see his face she knew that he was grinning.

"So what if I did? It was worth it to hear your laughter!" he said, wiggling his eyebrow suggestively. She burst out laughing once again at his crazy antics as he guided her to her respective spot on the blanket. They sat, each talking little and just enjoying each others' presence. Suddenly, the Monkey King got a really nervous expression on his face; it was almost as though he were afraid of something. Ariya looked at him in concern, wanting to help him even though she knew not of what his problem was.

"Ariya…what if I had this friend who liked a person but she was out of his league? What should I tell him?" he blurted out, worried at what she was going to say. She looked thoughtful for a moment before she looked him in the eyes. It was a strange moment that he would refer to her by her given name; she knew that when he did it was no time for fun and games.

"I would say to admit his feelings for her. If she doesn't like him in the same way then at least he would know and could move on but if she does…then they could get together regardless of the rank. Rank shouldn't matter when it comes to love." she said, smiling at him. He couldn't help but stare as her smile just pulled him in. The two beings sat in silence for a while before a thought dawned on The Monkey King. He had never heard Ariya sing before and now that he thought of it he wanted to hear her singing voice very much.

"Moonbeam, can you sing for me? Just one song?" he begged her, noticing the small blush that bloomed across her cheeks. She sighed and nodded her head at him, finally realizing that fact as well.

"Alright, but just one song. It's by The Jonas Brothers, a band I really respected in my own world. They had high morals and never let anybody tell them what to do. Its called 'A Little Bit Longer'." she said, clearing her throat. She began to sing and her voice absolutely captivated the Monkey King.

"_When I thought it'd all be done, when I thought it'd all been said, A little bit longer and I'll be fine. But you don't know what you got 'til it's gone, And you don't know what it's like to feel so low, and every time you smile you laugh you glow. You don't even know, know, know. You don't even know." _Began softly at first, warming up her voice. Soon, though she got into the song and closed her eyes, picturing all of the hard times she had ever gone through.

_"All this time goes by, still no reason why, a little bit longer and I'll be fine.  
Waitin' on a cure, But none of them are sure, a little bit longer and I'll be fine, But you don't know what you got 'til it's gone, You don't know what it's like to feel so low. And every time you smile you laugh you glow, You don't even know, know, know. You don't even know, know, know. You don't even know, no" _she continued to sing, pouring her heart into that single song, knowing that she had accumulated a small audience of animals, not to mention the fact that her best friend was sitting beside her. She ignored all of them and continued to concentrate on the song she was singing._  
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_"And you don't know what you got 'til it's gone. Don't know what it's like to feel so low, yeah! And every time you smile you laugh you glow, You don't even know! yeah! Woah!" _she was winding down in her song and her voice became softer once again, sounding like an angel from heaven.

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__"So I'll wait 'til kingdom come. All the highs and lows are gone. A little bit longer and I'll be fine. I'll be...fine"_ she finished singing, opening her eyes. She turned towards the Monkey King, awaiting the reaction she was going to get.

The Monkey King shook his head from his stupor. The voice of the silver haired beauty was phenomenal! He couldn't even find the correct words to describe it; she was incredible!

"That was…" he started but somehow couldn't finish his sentence. Instead of solid words he brushed his forehead to hers, smiling warmly at her. She smiled back at him, somehow knowing what he thought. He looked down at her soft, plump lips wanting to kiss them like no tomorrow. He was about to follow his instincts when all of a sudden warriors of the Jade Warlord attacked._  
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	6. The Ambush

**Authoress Note: Oh my gosh! I feel so bad because I promised myself that I would have this chapter out yesterday! Ahh!! BAD KITSUNE!! Anyway, here's chapter 5!**

**Thanks to:**

**Caeley - Another review!! Aah, I love you so much! So much feedback! I shall call you my number one fan from now on!**

**Sakura Tate - I know! hehe, but don't worry, they'll kiss eventually!**

**NightmareAngel365 - Thanks for the review! I know, aren't they such a cute couple?**

**Thanks again!**

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**Chapter Five**

**The Ambush**

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**Nobody's POV**

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The silver haired Princess and the white haired warrior scrambled to their feet; Ariya was having a little trouble since she was not dressed in her normal training clothes. She always hated wearing dresses, but she wanted to please her mother for the first time in her life. The Celestial Princess always had hated conflict and felt ashamed by the sad look on her mother's face when she said that she didn't like dresses. So, to please her mother, Ariya said she would try out wearing a dress for the day. She growled at herself, angry at her decision in the day's clothes. It couldn't be helped; it was to please her mother.

"Get behind me! Ariya, do it now!" the Monkey King ordered, voice very serious for once. Normally he enjoyed the fighting and making fun of the Jade Warlord's minions, but when the silver haired Princess was in the picture he knew it was time to become serious. She nodded, knowing that her still healing injuries would cause more harm than good. It was times like these that she cursed her fake father; if he hadn't injured her then she would be able to fight. Ariya picked up her skirts, rushing behind the powerful and proud warrior.

"Kick some butt." The Princess whispered in his ear when she was safely away from the range of weapons. He grinned back at her, despite the situation, and winked, causing her to giggle at his childish expression. His goal to ease the tension was complete, and now he could concentrate on the fighting.

Suddenly, the idiotic minions attacked…and the battle was on. Once the minions were fighting with the Monkey King, Ariya shuffled away from the battle front. Luck was with her at the moment for she found cover in a small cove of trees. If she was careful then she wouldn't be spotted. The silver haired Princess peeked out of the shade once she was well hidden, watching the epic battle take place. The Monkey King was drifting farther away with each blow he landed, but every attempt at moving back was being blocked. She could tell that he was trying to make his way back to her side, but was eventually pushed back by the swarm of minions.

Ariya gasped loudly when one of the pathetic warriors managed to land a hit on the Monkey King's chest. The blow was a hard one; the Monkey King was pushed back a couple of feet. At first the Princess thought that the white haired warrior was hurt because he was doubled over in pain, but she visibly relaxed when she realized that, instead of cringing from pain, he was laughing. She continued watching the battle and it seemed like everything was going good until several hands shot out of the brush behind her, covering her mouth and pinning her legs and arms to her torso. She could tell by the rancid breath and awkward chi energy that it was the Jade Warlord and his minions.

The Warlord smirked victoriously as several of his minions captured the silver haired Princess. She struggled in vain, her dress and still ailing wounds keeping her from fighting back. She lowered her head in defeat but her eye caught the glint of a sharp rock out of the corner of her eye. An idea formed in her head as the Warlord's minions pulled her back. She quickly grabbed the sharp rock when the minions forced her to her feet; she ripped the fabric of the dress to her knees so she had a greater mobility.

Gripping the rock tightly in her hand she subtly tore the rest of her dress, from the knees down, from her body. The Princess flung the material at several of the minions; it flew over their heads and caused them to become confused. The ragged edges of the rock dug into her hand from her tight grip, blood dripping to the ground from the puncture wounds. She glanced around, nervously noting that the henchmen had brought her dangerously close to the steepest and highest cliff face she had ever seen.

"Be mine or death shall be your fate. The choice is yours, Princess." the Warlord hissed in her ear, his hot breath causing her to shiver in disgust. She grasped the sharp rock in her hand even tighter, causing a fresh river of blood to seep down her fist. The silver haired Princess smiled sadly at the thought of her death, but she would fight for her freedom. She was not afraid of death and would stand up for what she believed in.

"Then I shall cause you pain with my death!" she shouted, dodging the hands of the minions and bringing her hand up, stabbing the Warlord with the rock. It lodged itself in his throat, burying itself underneath several layers of flesh.

The rock wouldn't kill him but it would certainly cause him a great amount of pain. He shrieked, shoving her back into the thin air. Her eyes widened as she let out a heart wrenching scream, hoping to the high heavens that the Monkey King would hear her. It was the fourth time she had been shoved/fallen/stumbled into open air this month! Ariya grasped out with her hands, tumbling down the rocky ledges until her hands caught onto some of the outcroppings. She hoped that the Monkey King would come soon; she barely had any energy and strength to hold herself up.

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The Monkey King's POV

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Fighting was a blast! I couldn't remember a time when I didn't enjoy beating up the Warlord's minions. As if they could defeat me, hah! We traded blow for blow, but none of these foolish minions were a match for me and my mighty Nyoi-bo. Rolling my head to the side I belted out a laugh, giggling as one of the stupid minions tripped over his own feet.

I dodged yet another blow; seriously, how pathetic can these people get? They call themselves warriors? They can barely land a hit on me…and I'm not trying to be vain or anything. Crouching down I avoided a blow from behind, trying to ignore the bubbly feeling that was rising in my chest. It was weird; it was like my emotions were trying to tell me something.

I was enjoying the battle more than anyone – you know that one of my hobbies is fighting - but I knew something was wrong with my Moonbeam. I don't know when I started referring her to **my** Moonbeam…but it just feels right calling her that. How could I know that something was wrong? Call it an instinct but I knew that she was in trouble and that she needed me. It was strong; it was almost gut wrenching. She needed me and she needed me **now**.

I smoothly jerked my body to the side and smacked away another lance with my Nyoi-bo. I was able to defeat the last remaining troops in my vicinity, and by jumping up and vaulting over two warriors' heads I was able to dodge the others. I hurried over to the small thicket where Ariya was hiding, fear welling deep within my chest. It was not a pleasant feeling and it was one that I wasn't used to feeling.

My worst fears were confirmed when I peered through the thick foliage; she was missing. I was horrified to find out that she was missing; it was my responsibility to look after her! Clenching my fist I rammed it into the nearest possible tree. Ignoring the pain, I hissed in rage; it was not a good idea to push my temper. Where was she?!

Suddenly, a piercing cry shot through the air. It was kind of strangled…which made me laugh. I couldn't help the laughter, but it just bubbled up through my lips. It was a male's voice and sounded like the Warlord…however, it wasn't as…manly as normal. I smirked, enjoying the pain that someone caused him. Personally, I hoped that he would fall off the cliff, but that was hoping for too much. Even if the Warlord was in pain he isn't stupid.

I sped toward the sound, noting the mall trail of blood on the ground. At this I became worried. What if the blood belonged to Ariya? What if she had been hurt? Did she do it herself? Did the Warlord injure her? At this though my blood began to boil and I sped up, almost sprinting to the clearing at the cliff. Suddenly, several henchmen ambushed me as I entered the clearing. I quickly defeated them, showing no mercy and dashed to the middle, rage apparent on my usually happy face. I was fed up with the tricks that the Warlord thinks he could play. I turned towards the Warlord, eyes widening as another scream, female this time, tore through the air. It was then I saw her fall.

"Moonbeam!" I shouted, dashing to the cliff's edge as she toppled over. It was a nightmare; I couldn't get to her in time. I couldn't get far, however, as the Warlord ambushed me with a glaive. I had no time for this. I became enraged and dodged all the blows, anger surging as I heard the whimpers of Ariya. She was frightened and by all that is sacred I am going to save her. She was weak and was barely clinging to the rock face most likely. The Warlord was getting frustrated, slipping up in his defense as I smashed the Nyoi-bo into his side, clearly breaking a couple of ribs. The satisfying crunch was music to my ears.

The Warlord growled in anger, deciding that to battle me when I was outraged was not such a good idea. I wouldn't blame him; my fury shall be met. I would find a way to rip him to shreds if he stayed here any longer. I dashed at him again; rage was fully apparent in my eyes, but a small cry stopped all of my movement. In my fury I had forgotten about Ariya! While I was distracted the Warlord slipped out of the area and back into the palace. I didn't care; I would take care of him later. When the Warlord was out of sight I sprinted towards the cliff face just in time to see her hand start to slip. My heart was pounding - she was mortal which meant she could die. I didn't want her to die. I wasn't ready for her to die. I doubt I could make it if she were to die.

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Ariya's POV

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Oh god, I was going to fall. I was terrified and absolutely high strung. I could feel the pain in my arms and legs; I wasn't going to be able to last. Not with my wounded hand, I wasn't. It was a stupid thing for me to do, not to mention the stinging in my wounded hand was becoming unbearable.

I winced as the sticky red liquid ran down my arm and stained my dress. I actually liked this dress. No, can't think about those trivial things. I cried out as I felt my bloody had given out, putting all the pressure on the uninjured one. Crap, well that's just great. Now I know that I'm going to die. As I looked downward I realized that there was a raging river below me; I wasn't going to survive. I knew it. I closed my eyes in resentment, knowing that I was going to fall. With the raging river below me I don't know if I'll be able to survive this or not. I opened my eyes once again as I heard movement from the top of the cliff.

"Moonbeam!" I heard as the Monkey King poked his head over the edge. I sighed, happy at least to see his face once more before I fell. Although I was happy to see him, I didn't want to see the look on his face when I finally fell. It seemed like it was going to be any second; my arm was quivering with the strain of holding me up. I couldn't hold on…as much as I wanted to my body was getting ready to give out.

"Snowflake…I'm sorry. I'm afraid that I can't hold on any longer." I said, tears blurring my vision. I blinked them away, but it did little to help. I felt bad, though; the Monkey King's eyes widened in shock before he shook his head in denial.

"_**NO!**_ Don't speak like that. Don't even _**think **_like that! I'm going to pull you up, just hold on!" the Monkey King exclaimed. Oh god, I made him cry. I watched as his eyes watered up as they darted from side to side. He was thinking for a bit, and then he suddenly had an idea. I just hoped to the high heavens that he would be able to pull me up…this wasn't the way I wanted to die. Snowflake brought his Nyoi-bo down parallel to my body and locked his knees, bracing himself for my weight. What the hell did he want me to do?

"Grab my staff! I'll pull you up! Do it quickly!" the white haired warrior exclaimed from above me; we didn't notice the guy coming up behind him. I nodded, biting my lip as I slowly slid my bloodied hand to grasp the staff. I hoped that the blood wouldn't cause me to slip. Once I had as much grip as I could muster, I slowly slid the hand that was still grasping the rock face to the edge of the rock. I was short on breath, not to mention absolutely terrified, but with the comforting look the Monkey King was giving me I knew that I could trust him.

I bit my lip harder and forced myself to finally grasp the end of his staff, putting all my weight on it. Looking up, I noticed that the white haired warrior had locked his knees while giving out a grunt. I gave out a small cry as he started pulling with all of his might to bring me to the top edge. Oh god, he better not drop me...

I was almost to the top ledge when my bloodied hand started to slip. No! I couldn't let myself fall. I tried to tighten my grip upon the Monkey King's staff, but my other hand started to slide towards the end of the staff as well. We both realized this; I tried to tighten my grip as much as my hands would allow, and he started pulling harder. I tried not to look at his desperate face, but I had to look at his eyes one more time. It was then that I saw the man who was trying to sneak up on him.

"Snowflake! Behind you!" I screamed, trying to warn him…but it was too late. The random warrior took a wooden staff from one of the unconscious warriors – the greedy bastard – and slammed it into the Monkey King's side. He jumped back out of habit before any harm was done to himself; the dodge saved him but the jerk caused me to lose my grip on Snowflake's Nyoi-bo. My bloodied hand jerked away from the metal surface of his staff while my good hand slipped to the very edge of the metallic surface. I was terrified of falling, but there was nothing I could do now. The Monkey King was panicking. I could see it in his eyes. If he so even jerked then she would fall; there was no question about it. My eyes softened in defeat as the warrior attacked Snowflake again; I was glad that he dodged. I didn't want him to get hurt. The warrior's momentum caused him to tumble over the edge. He…slammed into me on his way down. My hand lost its grip and I…I fell.

"No…" was the last thing I heard him say as my hand finally slipped from his staff. My hair whipped around me and the loose material of my skirt fluttered around my knees as I began to fall. I was suspended in the air for a few seconds it seemed like; I was reaching up towards him when my body hit the mountainside, crashing against the rocks. I screamed – **loudly**. I could practically **feel** my bones shattering and I cried out each time I met another rock. By the time I made it to the bottom of the mountain I was barely conscious, my body was littered with cuts. The hissing sound of rushing water met my ears, making me cry out once again as the stinging cold rushed up to meet me and my wounds.

I tried…I really did. I struggled to keep my head over the water so I wouldn't drown, but the stinging and freezing rapids were quickly numbing my body. I must have traveled a long way as I was struggling…I could no longer hear the pained cries of the Monkey King behind me. It was quiet…and tears were freely making their way down my cheeks. I laughed bitterly; you mostly likely couldn't tell what was water from the river and what were tears.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I was able to grab onto a large branch overhanging the river. I wasn't stupid; this was my chance. I gasped in pain as I pulled myself over to the bank of the river. By this time my vision was failing; black dots were clouding my vision, but I was determined to at least pull myself partly from the river's deathly rapids. Groaning in pain, my ribs were on fire once again, I crawled over the stones on the river's bank. I made my way to a large oak tree, its branches shielding me from the world's harsh and bitter winds. A storm must have been brewing in the mortal realm for I was no longer on the immortal mountain.

My eyes grew heavy; it was not time for me to sleep. I told myself to stay awake since I might have had a concussion. If I fell asleep I might never wake up. I gave in, though, curling up on my side as I shivered from the wetness and cold from the night air. My eyes involuntarily closed as I gave into the darkness, not knowing if I would survive the night.

**

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**

With the Monkey King; Monkey King's POV

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I couldn't believe it. The sound of the rushing rapids caught my sensitive ears as well as the pained shouts as my Princess plummeted to the waters below. I had failed. I had not only failed the situation but I had failed **her**. I promised to protect her and I had **failed**.

"No! _**Ariya!**_" I settled on screaming in order to release my anguish. I was sure that my normally chipper and cheerful face was twisted with my grief. Sinking to my knees, I couldn't believe that this happened. I brought my Nyoi-bo up behind me, setting it on the ground, I looked back down the mountainside. I could just barely see her outline falling into the river; I had to help her. The sight made me realize that I wasn't useless; I jerked back into a standing position and shouted over the edge of the mountainside.

"I **will **come for you, Ariya! Just hold on! I'll come and find you!" I shouted, cupping my hands around my mouth to amplify my voice. I stooped down and picked up my Nyoi-bo, righting myself as I dashed towards where I came from. I past by numerous warriors, either dead by his hand or unconscious and injured. I could care less about them right now. I set my face in stone, jumping onto the branches of the large trees overhead. I guess my sudden entrance startled one of the servant girls, but I didn't care. Wait, come to think of it the servant looked very familiar. I looked at her closely, almost scaring her again, before I remembered what her name was.

"Caeley!" I exclaimed once I remembered it, mounting the Nyoi-bo upon my back as I stepped towards her. I raised my hands; it was a gesture to show her that I wouldn't hurt her. The servant girl picked up the skirts of her dress and turned towards me, a light blush dusting across her face. According to the Princess, the servant girl wanted to meet me and had envied Ariya for being best friends – and hopefully something more someday – with me.

"Y-yes, Milord? W-what do you r-require?" she asked, stuttering a bit; I guess she was intimidated. At any other time I would have thought her cute, but I was more worried about my Moonbeam's well being then of a servant's reaction towards me. I took another step towards the girl, taking note of the dress she was wearing. I smiled, fondly remembering the one that Ariya was wearing. She must have borrowed the dress she was wearing from Caeley; I remember her saying that she didn't care for intricate clothing.

"Guide me to the chambers of the Jade Emperor and his Empress. It is of the utmost importance; it regards the welfare of the Princess." I said, trying to remain calm. On the inside I was panicking; I needed to get permission **now**! I suppose that she saw the tear streaks on my face; tears were still forming in my eyes as if they were reminding me of my failure. She took off, pulling on my sleeve to signal that I was to follow her. Soon enough we appeared before two intricately designed doors; a jade dragon was carved into them. This must be the throne room of the holy duo.

"Please wait for a moment. I need to introduce you and get permission for you" Caeley said, knocking on the door. When she got the ok to enter she bowed, never once looking above her status as she entered the room. When she was gone I looked at my feet, finally allowing the tears to fall down my cheeks. I was in terrible pain; I couldn't believe I allowed Ariya to be hurt when I promised that I would protect her. Moments later the door snapped open, Caeley beckoning me inside.

"The Emperor and Empress will see you now. Good luck, Monkey King." The servant girl whispered, nodding to me while tears pooled in her own eyes. Everyone loved Ariya and everyone would be devastated if something had happened to her. It only made me feel worse.

I steeled myself, forcing the tears from my eyes. I wanted to appear calm and not distraught. I walked straight into the throne room, willing myself to keep my composure. I would do anything to leave this mountain…to search for my beloved.


	7. The Monkey King's Request

**Authoress Note: Hey, guys!! Gosh, I think I like writing this story more than my Transformers one. Oh, please vote in the poll I put in my profile! It concerns which story I'll work on after I finish my Transformers one because I'm only about ten chapters away from competing it.**

**Anyway thanks to:**

**Sakura Tate - (sorry for the capitalization error if there is one, my computer is being weird) No, don't worry. I like writing and will continue, even though I may be a little late with some chapters. School can be stressfull sometimes.**

**Caeley - Thanks for reviewing, Number one fan!!**

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**Chapter Six**

**The Monkey King's Request**

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**Monkey King's POV**

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I rushed as fast as I could to the throne room, fully prepared to set all of my hard earned pride aside. I was also fully prepared to set all of my pride aside and beg for my chance to leave the mountain; I had been punished before and I was not allowed to leave this mountain. The Warlord makes sure that I don't. I needed to search for my Moonbeam; she was alive…I was sure of it.

I brought my Nyoi-bo from my back and laid it upon the ground in a sign of respect towards the all-powerful man who sat before me. It would not do to anger the Emperor of all people. Trust me, I had done that and the punishment he deals is usually lenient, but this was his **daughter** of all people. I think he noticed that I had shed tears for he kept his eyes trained upon my face. He must have known that something was wrong with the Princess…I was the one who was with her last after all. The Emperor rose, commanding all attention from the room. The Empress and her handmaidens ceased their gossiping and paid close attention to the matter that was at hand.

"Monkey King…it is not often that I see you in my throne room when you have not caused mischief. Tell me – what is your purpose for this audience? What is your purpose for being here?" the great Emperor inquired. He eyed me; he probably still didn't trust me because of the last stunt I pulled on the Jade Warlord. I lowered my hair; another submissive action. The Emperor looked at me with a raised eyebrow, but I didn't care. My ponytail hung over my shoulder; I took a great shuddering breath…I didn't know if the Emperor would call his guards or not. I steeled myself, putting all of my emotions into my eyes. When I looked up I could tell that the Emperor was unsettled; he took a step back as if he was unnerved.

"My Emperor…" I began, reassuring myself that what I had to say was, indeed, important.

"The Princess Ariya is…gone. She is missing. We…were attacked by a swarm of the Jade Warlord's minions. We became separated and when I managed to find her she was thrown over a cliff by the Warlord himself!" I explained, trying to remain calm. The Emperor just had to understand! I looked deeply into the faces of the Princess' parents, noticing the horrified expressions that had formed. Tears swam in my eyes once again, but I absolutely refused to let them fall before a man of such power. It was a sign of weakness.

"I became outraged…and managed to defeat most of the men who were attacking us. By that time the Princess was clinging to the rock face with all of her strength. I should have gotten there quicker, Majesty. I defeated the Warlord, but my worry over the Princess caused me to let him leave. I had no time to be dealing with such scum when her Highness was in such danger." I hissed, still trying to keep my calm. The Warlord was such a wretched man. No, he was lower than a man; he rivaled a grimy piece of dirt. The only reason why he was offered refuge on the Holy Mountain was so that the Jade Emperor could keep tabs on him. Yes, the Warlord was **that** dangerous.

"I offered to her my Nyoi-bo in order for her to get a better chance of being rescued, but I was unaware that a warrior was still behind me. When her Highness finally managed to grab onto my Nyoi-bo, I was attacked from behind! The warrior fell over the mountain's ledge and knocked into the Princess on his way down. She lost her grip…and she…plummeted down the mountainside into the river…" I finished, feeling the pain of watching her take over my heart once again. My eyes welled up yet again, but this time I didn't bother to wipe them away. It was one of the ways I could show my grief for the Emperor's daughter.

The Empress let out a strangled cry that I couldn't ignore no matter what I did; tears ran down her cheeks and smeared her makeup. Her handmaidens tried their best to console the female royal, but they, too, had tears running down their cheeks. Ariya was a well loved Princess and everyone in the palace adored her. It was going to be hard to accept that her Highness could very well be lying dead somewhere. Everyone felt grief that she was gone, but none other felt the grief more so than I.

I…felt that I could have done more to save her. I **should** have done something to help her more. I should have kept her **safe**! It was my fault that she was in an unsafe terrain in the first place…she was subjected to the harsh wanders of the Middle Kingdom.

"Guards! _**Bring me the Jade Warlord.**_" The Emperor commanded, eyes settling into an uncharacteristic hard glare. Normally he would have asked politely, but considering the situation it was no wonder why his attitude had become as cold and hard as steel. The Emperor would do whatever necessary to ensure the safety of his daughter…and to gain her back. The elderly ruler had lost her once and he was not about to lose his beloved daughter again.

The servant merely nodded and bowed sharply, showing that he was upset. He understood the situation perfectly, but he didn't dare show his emotions. He rushed off into the maze of hallways, intent on finding the Warlord and bringing him back. The Emperor turned back to me, urging me to rise. I did so, but I kept my gaze elsewhere; it was another sign of respect for the wise and powerful leader. I had begun to see him in a new light since I developed feelings for his daughter. Suddenly, the voice of the distraught Empress rang through the room.

"You care for our daughter, do you not? You harbor feelings for her?" the Empress asked me, smiling softly despite her tears. Her gaze still welled; every few seconds they would overflow and trail down her cheeks. There were black lines where they smeared through her makeup.

I froze, trying to figure out exactly what my feelings for the Princess were. I thought about her shy and sweet personality and how she would only open up around me and Caeley. We were the only two people to get her to smile…except for her parents. I thought about her beautiful hair and gorgeous eyes…about her angelic voice and how she carried herself when she walked. I thought about the butterflies that gathered in my stomach whenever she was near…and how my tongue became twisted when I tried to speak to her.

Then, I finally thought about my anguish when she was thrown over the mountainside. I lowered my head, but then I suddenly raised it again. I looked the Empress straight in the eyes, sure of my answer.

"I love her, Highness." I said, not really surprising myself. Was it really that surprising to other people? Ariya was practically perfect in my eyes…and everyone in the palace was in love with her personality. They all loved her whether they loved her as a sister, friend, daughter, or in my case…something more. The Empress smiled, showing a row of pearly white teeth. She nodded her head in an 'I told you so' manner to the Emperor as the heavenly leader sighed.

"I suppose you were right, dear. I was just too blind to see that my daughter was growing up. She cares for you deeply, Monkey King, but I'm afraid that I know not she harbors the same kind of love you harbor for her." The wise Emperor said, bowing his head in submission. He looked back up at me, smiling at me as I sighed in relief. Trust me – I really didn't want to get on the Emperor's bad side.

"Listen to me, Monkey King. I approve of your feelings for my daughter, but listen to me well when I tell you this. If you hurt my daughter in any way, shape, or form and I shall condemn your soul to hell for all eternity." the Emperor said, wagging a finger in my face. He held a light tone but I could tell that the wise Emperor was deadly serious. Nobody should take the Emperor's threats lightly.

Suddenly, there was a cough in the corner. The cough came from where the large double doors were located. The servant that was sent to fetch the Jade Warlord was back, but he was glancing nervously behind him.

"Sire, the Jade Warlord is here. I managed to convince him to come, but he is in a terrible mood. I apologize, Highness." he said, rubbing his arm. I guessed that the Warlord had either struck him or threatened to remove the said appendage. The vile man really needed to know when to quit with the threatening.

The Emperor nodded, instructing the servant to let the Warlord in the room. His eyes were wise and he must have noticed how much I was fidgeting. He saw how the Monkey King's eyes narrowed when the Warlord stepped proudly into the room and how steam seemed to rise from the Warlord's head as he noticed that I was in the room. I just had that kind of effect on him.

"Warlord…tell me. Where is my daughter?" the Emperor commanded to the Warlord, eyes narrowing as the evil man smirked. He had obviously come up with some sort of excuse.

"Well, I haven't seen her today. Why? Are you looking for her Majesty?" he asked, smirking wider. Oh, how he managed to lie with such ease! I saw right through his guise. Rage boiled in my veins and I clenched my fist, trying to ease my anger. He turned towards the Emperor, wanting to address the issue he came in for in the first place.

"Highness, may I leave the Mountain in order to search for the Princess? I feel that she is still alive." I asked, bowing low and placing my Nyoi-bo on the ground once again. I was praying with all my heart that the Emperor would let me search for the Princess. The Warlord sneered at me, laughing at my 'oh so pathetic' attempt at being respectful. Maybe I was one of the only ones who were noticing that the royal couple was becoming angry at the Warlord.

"No. Why would you ever think that the Emperor would lift your punishment for a **woman**?" the Warlord laughed, not noticing that everyone in the room seemed to drop what they were doing to glare at him. He did notice, however, that the Emperor's eyes narrowed even more, looking like slits on his withered face. Nobody insulted the Jade Princess and got away with it!

"Yes. You may leave the Mountain only to recover my **daughter **and do whatever necessary to **protect her from harm**. I am counting on you, Monkey King." the Emperor said, sending a double message to me as he winked. I tried not to show how ecstatic he was, but the glow in my eyes obviously betrayed me.

The Royal couple noticed well enough, causing the Emperor and Empress to smile slightly at my happiness. The Warlord scowled at me, causing me to smirk in return. I had won our little game for the moment. I rose, backing out of the chamber, before turning and running towards the entrance to the palace. I needed to find the Princess…and quick. A servant was already there, ready with a horse from the stables and a pack, filled to the brim with food. There were also a few jugs of water, helpful for my harsh journey ahead. I only hoped that I could get to her in time.

"Thank you." I told the servant as I hopped onto the horse, securing his Nyoi-bo onto my back as I urged the horse onward. The grey stallion snorted before trotting down the incline that led to the gate of the entrance of the mountain. I stopped, looking back one more time before I turned back around, determined to find my beloved and bring her back to the palace. Failure was not an option.

**

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**

TIME LAPSE

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I had been searching for two days, stopping in villages and receiving many strange stairs at my attire. I was well accommodated, though, because I bore the celestial emblem of the Jade Emperor. I tried to follow the current of the river, but the large amount of brush and foliage kept me from riding the horse. I finally made the decision that I was going to abandon the horse, traveling on foot along the riverbank. It was frustrating; I needed to find Ariya soon…or else I'm afraid that I would only find a corpse.

"Thank you for your patronage, sir. Feel free to come back any time." the innkeeper said as I paid the man to keep my horse for me. I nodded in the innkeeper's general direction before taking the pack from my horse and mounting it on my back. I shrugged the pack higher on top of my back, strapping the Nyoi-bo on top of it. I set my jaw, determined to find my Moonbeam before the worst could happen. She was still alive; I could feel it.

I pushed myself harder than I had in any battle, wanting to find the Princess and make all of her troubles disappear. I looked for a way into the forest, near the rushing sound of the river. I knew that I would have to look harder as Ariya would most likely be smart enough to cover up her trail. I sighed, running a hand down my face as I thought while I walked. Now that I was free from the palace what would I do when I found my Moonbeam? I got the double meaning that the Emperor had sent me: I was to take Ariya and hide her away from the Jade Warlord.

I grimaced as I pushed back some of the branches of the thick trees, aggravated that I had small twigs sticking out of my ponytail. I was not one to complain but the sticks just gravitated towards me, loving to get tangled within my long tresses. I sighed, probably for the millionth time that day. I was giving up hope; by the time I reached my beloved it could very well be too late.

I wandered over to an overturned log, sitting down to catch my breath. She was close now; I could feel the strength of our bond growing stronger. Suddenly, I heard something shifting on the other side of an old tree. I thought I heard a small moan, female. I jumped to my feet, excited yet nervous at the same time. I drew my Nyoi-bo from my back, setting the pack upon the ground, just in case the one causing thee moans was something else.

I crept around the tree, ready to strike if it were anything that would harm me. I peered underneath the foliage, surprised to see the one thing I had been searching for in the past two days. My Moonbeam was lying, curled, underneath the brush of the great tree, cut and beaten up. I threw his staff to the side, not caring where it landed, and rushed to her side.

"Moonbeam!! Ariya! Open your eyes!" I pleaded, picking her up and cradling her to my chest. She flinched unconsciously as she moaned softly again, due to the encouraging of I started doing. I rested my head on top of hers, praying to the high heavens that she was still alive. I pressed my ear to her mouth and my heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest when I discovered that she wasn't breathing.

"No…come on, Moonbeam! You can't leave me now!" I whispered as I felt for a pulse. It was a weak one, but she still had one. Carefully, being mindful of her old and new wounds, I set her on the ground, tilting her head back. I had a hunch of what to do but I didn't know if it would work or not. I pinched my fingers over her nose and opened her mouth. I stopped when I was just about to connect our lips.

"Please forgive me for this. I had no choice." I whispered before our lips connected, me breathing into her mouth. I had no idea what to do next but I suspected that she needed to breathe out. I placed his hands on her sternum, between her breasts, and pushed down until the breath left her lips. I repeated his actions, becoming more discouraged when it didn't work.

"Please, come back to me!!" I whispered harshly, breathing into her mouth once more. I was about to press down on her chest once again when she coughed, water expelling itself from her mouth. I stopped, thanking the heavens that she was alright. I grabbed her from the ground, cradling her against my chest again as she coughed out the remaining water out of her lungs. Once she was done she settled back against my chest, looking up into my worried, and slightly panicked, face.

"Snowflake?" she whispered hoarsely, coughing a bit, and wincing in pain. She closed her eyes do to the severity of the pain and because the coughing was draining her of her strength. I looked at her, lovingly, and watched as she forced her eyes open again.

"Sleep, Moonbeam. You need to regain your strength. Do not worry, I shall take care of you." I whispered, pecking her on the cheek. I dare not kiss her when she was awake for she might never speak to me again after that.

"If you insist." she whispered back, finally closing her eyes and resting back into my arms. I sighed, burying my head into her hair, and vowing to myself that I would, indeed, protect her from the Warlord's wrath.


	8. The Monkey King Takes Charge

**Hey guys! I'm sorry for taking so long with this chapter but I wanted to finish **_**Wings of a Phoenix **_**before I started working on this book again. I'm sorry!! *bows* Anyway, you'll be happy to know that I'll only be working on this one currently and then I'll either post the next one in this trilogy or start with my Holes trilogy (while working on this trilogy on the side.)**

**Anyway thanks to:**

**Wolviegurl - Thanks for all three of your reviews! Anyway, like I said, I'll be working on this one from now on!**

**Caeley - Thanks! I'm glad that you like my story!**

**Pirate-Girl1017 - Wow, really? That must have taken a while...or it would have for me, anyway. **

**Thanks for all your support!!**

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**Chapter Seven**

**The Monkey King Takes Charge**

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**Monkey King's POV**

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I sat back, cradling Ariya against my chest. I was still completely terrified, but I was relieved that she was at least alive. My breathtaking beauty's breathing was still ragged and I knew that if I couldn't get her into some dry clothes she would develop some sort of sickness. If she were to become sick I don't know what I could do to help her. I'm not

"Moonbeam…" I whispered, finally deciding to check her over for injuries. I was extremely worried about her wellbeing. A fall from the height of the tall cliff would almost insure some sort of injury. I just pray that her head wasn't hurt…I heard that head injuries could cause the person to never wake again.

I winced when I slipped the sash from her dress, begging for her forgiveness in my mind. What I was about to do, to the Emperor's daughter – the Celestial Princess! – no less, was considered forbidden on every level…but I **had** to check her wounds! I may be mischievous but I was not one to take advantage of a wounded lady - or a lady in general. It was just against my code.

"Ah…" she hissed in her sleep, causing me to freeze. The sound was one I knew of well; I often heard the sound from wounded soldiers. I knew that I had somehow hurt her further, but I knew that I was going to have to pull the dress open, at least a little, to assess the damage. I slowly took the sash and moved it away, hanging it upon one of the branches while I searched her body for injuries.

I felt extremely embarrassed; I, a battle hardened warrior, blushed furiously as I pulled the cloth away from the silver haired maiden's body, getting ready to see the flesh of her naked body. I was very surprised, and somewhat relieved, to see that her supple breasts were covered with strong yet flexible pieces of material. The strange solid material was attached to pieces of ropes which wrapped around the bottom portion of her chest and around her shoulders. Curiously I turned her over, amazed that the strange garment hooked itself in the back. It was unique, but it enabled me to assess her injuries without embarrassing myself further.

My eyes wandered downward, pausing and staring at the solid black piece of cloth that was covering her pubic area. This saved me a lot of embarrassing and awkward moments as well. Two holes were cut in the other strange piece of cloth so her legs would fit through; it was enough to hide her genital area and for that I was glad.

I was snapped out of my train of thought when my silver haired beauty started groaning in pain. She started twitching and she turned her head to the side to cough up a small splatter of blood. This was enough to spur my heart; my brow creased in obvious worry as I pressed my fingers against her ribs. A frown marred my face as I felt the irregularities in the bones…they were broken perhaps? My frown deepened when I noticed the dark patches on her dress. Eventually I made up my mind, deciding to close her dress and take her somewhere to recover. I was of no use to her when I was worried. When I tied her dress closed I tightened the sash, raising it above her injured ribs.

"Please, Moonbeam, wait just a little longer." I whispered to her, not caring if she couldn't hear me. I slid an arm under her legs and wrapped the other around her waist; it was the only way to make sure I wouldn't drop her. I rose, looking to the left and right as I located the path in which I came. I readjusted the sleeping girl in my arms, ever so careful not to jostle her wounds any further as I climbed back up the slope. I was set; I was determined to get her to a safe place and once I was determined to do something…well **nothing** could get in my way.

Finally, when it seemed like ages had passed, I came upon the village where I left my horse. I looked around, feverishly trying to find an inn to take care of my beloved's injuries. She mumbled something inaudible in her sleep before falling quiet once more; the sound brought a smile to my worried face before I finally found, and rented, a room in the nearest inn. I called for a doctor to help him wrap her wounds; this is where my modesty kicked in. I couldn't look at her while she was indisposed…and I'm pretty sure that Ariya wouldn't mind if a doctor were here. I just hope that she doesn't hate me for this.

When I reached the assigned room I gently kicked the door open, inadvertently bouncing her in his arms. I cursed myself a thousand times over as my precious cried out in pain, wincing as she peered up at me through pain filled eyes.

"Mmh…Snow…flake?" the light of my life whispered as she cracked a small smile. I could help but smile back at her softly, despite my obvious worry, and set her down on one of the beds. I bit my lip as the Princess winced when her ribs were jostled again. It didn't look like she minded, though, since she continued to smile softly at me despite my clumsiness.

I couldn't stand the silence so I felt I needed to apologize. It was my fault, after all, that she was like this.

"I'm so sorry." I murmured, turning away from her. I sighed heavily, taking my pack from my back and setting it upon the wall. I unhooked my Nyoi-bo from my back, only to stretch and hook it on again when I was done. A knock at the door startled us, but as I walked past the bed to answer it my Princess grabbed my sleeve. I looked down at her, but she only smiled softly again at the questioning look I was most likely sending her.

"Don't be sorry, Snowflake. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault except for the Warlord's." the beautiful silver haired woman said softly before a small attack of coughs racked her frame. Panic gripped my chest as I swiftly, but softly, disentangled myself from her hand. I swept towards the door and ripped it open, revealing an aged man with a large pouch full with medicinal herbs. He must be the doctor.

"Well don't just stand there! Show me the patient! I can hear her coughing from all the way down the hall." The elderly man scolded me. I couldn't help but flinch at the tone of his voice. Shaking my head I ushered the doctor into the room and led him to my injured Moonbeam. The doctor took one look at her before his aged and wrinkled face grew dim with concern. It made me scared, I will admit, and I had never felt this…utterly helpless before. The doctor glared at me before he kicked me out of the room. I glared at the door as my blood began to boil. This wouldn't do.

I needed to be in the room to make sure nothing would happen so I plucked a hair and sent a clone of myself outside. The clone looked around before it spotted the open window that was next to our room. Hopping onto a tree my clone settled down, watching the doctor with keen eyes. I, myself, slid down the wall, guarding the door to her room so that nobody would disturb the doctor.

"I'm going to have to undress you in order to assess your injuries, my dear. Don't be shy – I've seen many a woman's features. By what your male companion told me you have several broken ribs, lacerations, and contusions. Is there anything else?" the doctor asked my Moonbeam as he slipped the sash from her waist. My blood was boiling still, but there was not a thing I could do. It was for her benefit. The silver haired Princess blushed profusely, but she allowed the elderly man to slip the dress from her shoulders. Those strange undergarments were shown again, but the doctor didn't question about them. Instead, Ariya showed him a large bruise upon her ankle and a gash upon the back of her shoulder. Somehow I missed both of these.

"Hm…I don't think I've seen such pieces of clothing before…" the doctor said, stroking his short white beard. Well, there went the no questioning thing I said before. Ariya blushed but didn't say anything about it. Since she didn't say anything the doctor just brushed the thought aside.

The doctor had my Princess turn on her uninjured side, clucking his tongue as she winced at the pain. My clone's eyes widened as he brought out roll after roll of bandages, placing them beside the bed as he produced the necessary herbs he needed in order to create a healing paste. My Moonbeam hissed in pain when he placed the salve upon her torn skin, gritting her teeth together when he pressed the bandages on top of the paste. He bandaged the wounds tightly in order to make sure no infection would enter. It was horrible to watch.

"That…hurts…a…lot." She panted out when the doctor had her sit up. By the expression on her face black dots must have started invading her vision as he started to bind her broken ribs. He popped them back into place with an audible pop. My Ariya tried not to cry, but tears started to trickle down her face due to the immense pain. My clone and the light of my life both gave a relieved sigh when he allowed her to lie back onto the pillows.

"I'm terribly sorry, my dear, but you're going to have to wear this robe until your husband can buy you more clothing." The elderly doctor mused, tsking down at the bloody dress that once adorned her frame. A blush spread across my clone's face, but Ariya just nodded, not having enough energy to argue with the elderly man. He was kind enough to help her struggle into the thick, warm sleeping robe that was hanging on the edge of the bed. The doctor smiled sympathetically at her as she closed her eyes, sighing as the pain slowly ebbed into a dull throb. He prepared some tea for her and helped her to drink it before he left her to sleep.

With that I called my clone back to me and when the elderly doctor opened the door he found me pacing in front of it. I was fingering the edge of my Nyoi-bo that was sticking over my shoulder for added effect. A worried expression marred my face as I started to mutter to myself, promising death threats to the Jade Warlord. He sighed, though, since he was obviously used to talking to people who were as worried as I.

"Your wife has three broken ribs, two fractured ribs, several lacerations – the largest is on her right shoulder – a bruised ankle and several contusions. Whatever happened to her may have been severely traumatic so I suggest that you be gentle with handling her." The doctor explained to me while handing me several packets of herbal tea mixtures.

"Give her these when she is in pain. She should be fine in a few months time…and I think that she would like to see you now." The elderly doctor continued, making his way past me and down the stairs after I had paid him. I bowed out of respect, muttering a quick thank you before rushing into the room to see my Moonbeam.

I was so relieved to find her awake and alert. I thought that she would have been unconscious from the pain, but she was only a bit groggy at the most. I rushed to her side and beamed as she smiled at me. Although I was happy I was also feeling guilty about the amount of bandages that littered her body.

"Can we please go somewhere else? I don't feel comfortable in this place…the inn feels kind of stuffy." My Moonbeam whispered, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. I nodded my head reverently, rising to gather both of our things. I packed the herbs that the doctor gave me in a side pouch in my pack, careful not to crush any of the herbs.

When I was done I shouldered the pack and maneuvered my Nyoi-bo so that it was on top. I slid one of my arms underneath Ariya's knees and wrapped the other arm around the silver haired Princess' shoulders. I was feeling kind of funny inside when she wrapped one of her arms around my neck. I tried to be as careful as I could, but she still gasped softly when I rose. She winced when I had to open the door, but eventually her eyes drooped. It was a signal that the herbs were affecting her and that the pain was eventually numbing.

My Moonbeam let her head roll to the side and she buried her face into my tunic. My heart was pounding and I froze for a split second before relaxing to the touch of her face on my chest. I swear, my face was burning brightly from the contact. I wished that this moment would last forever, but I had to get my Moonbeam to a safe place. Where could I hide my Princess from the wrath of the Jade Warlord?

A certain thought struck me as I was placing her upon the horse I was allowed. Why couldn't I take her to the hideaway that I…well…hid in? My hideaway was small, with three rooms, but it was just enough space for us to live comfortably while my Princess was recovering. I swung up on the horse behind Ariya, wrapping one of my arms around her waist for stability. She tried not to show her blush, but I saw it anyway. She turned her face to the side, but I still caught it! It was cute.

"We're going to go to my hut…well actually, it's our hut now. Is that alright with you, moonbeam?" I asked, whispering in her ear. The blush grew, dusting across her entire face. I guess she didn't trust her voice at the moment so she nodded, leaning her head against my chest again. Her eyes fluttered closed as the throbbing pain overcame her, threatening to send her back into the black abyss. I would know…I've been there at times. The horse didn't help her any; the jostling of her wounds due to the horse's gait sent stars across her vision.

"How far?" she whispered quietly. If it were any quieter than I wouldn't have been able to hear her. I tightened his grip around her waist in a protective manner, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"Not far, but I need you to stay awake for me. Can you do that?" I whispered back, a urethral glow outlining my visage due to the setting of the sun. Another blush dusted its way across her cheeks as she nodded, forcing her eyes open as we trotted through the brush.

"No promises, but I can try." she said, gritting her teeth against the pain as the horse jostled her wounded ribs again. I nodded his head, burying his face in her hair. I still felt so terrible that she was injured…

Soon, we reached a well concealed path in the forest, one that I obviously knew well. I urged the horse into the path, pushing the foliage out of the way to reveal an old hut. Sure, it may seem like an old rundown piece of crap but on the inside it was fairly nice.

"We're here, Moonbeam." I whispered, sliding down from the saddle of the horse. I turned, making sure that she was awake, before hurrying to open the door of the shack, before throwing his sack in the corner. I rushed back to Ariya's side, helping her slide from the horse's saddle. She stumbled, wincing from the pain in her side.

"I've got you. Don't worry about a thing." I cooed, swiping her up into a bridal embrace. She smiled weakly, thanking me with her eyes. He smiled back at her, no need for words to communicate between the two of us.

"Thank you." she sighed, screwing her eyes closed as he carried her into the larger of the two bedrooms. I set her down upon one of the chairs, pleading for her to wait just a little while longer for him to set the bed. Once I was done I swooped down on her again, guiding her shaky form onto the bed.

"Don't thank me. It's what I'm here for." I said, feeling a sense of accomplishment course through my system at the way she was looking at me. I crossed the room, drawing the blinds closed for her to sleep, before leaning over her and placing a soft kiss on her forehead. She blushed, yet again, smiling softly at the look of complete and utter contempt in my eyes.

"But I want to…you saved my life. And to think, I've only called you by your true name once." she laughed, leaning back upon her pillows. I laughed as well, sitting down next her bed. No sooner than she closed her eyes was she asleep, a peaceful look upon her face as I brushed a few strands of moonlit hair from her face.

"Sleep well, Moonbeam." I whispered as I stood, exiting the room. I was determined to clean the place thoroughly as I thought the dirt was not worthy to sit upon her delicate skin. I was never going to leave her side again, vowing to sit at her bedside until every last visible cut was gone. That was how much I loved her.


	9. Why Me?

**Hey guys. My ISearch is happening (Senior Paper) and I was wondering if I could quote some of your reviews?**

**I want to start updating once a week. What day would you guys think would be for the best?**

**Anyways, thanks to:**

**Wolviegurl - No, Thank YOU for taking time for reviewing. It means alot.**

**BrokenHeartAlchemist - Lol, yeah. I always come up with the interesting pairings. Ok, to respond to your comments...I thank you for pointing out that I spelt 'martial' wrong but my computer has this weird thing where it turns one word into another. I can't get it to stick to 'martial' so it turns to 'marshal'. Weird, I know. Secondly, I know that in the movie he has yellow hair but keep in mind that this fanfiction is at least 500 years before the start of the movie. My perceptive on enlightenment is that the closer you get the darker your hair gets before turning pure white. I said that his hair is like a snowflake but a snowflake is yellow-white...a pale yellow that is almost white. Anyway I thought that it suited him better than the nickname 'Scarecrow' or something like that. Thirdly yes, she did say his name. It wasn't out loud, more of a whisper in his ear (and whispering is different from saying it out loud) and I didn't particularly spell out the name Sun WuKong. So in this chapter I have put a section just for you where he remembers when she says it out loud. Thanks for your comments!!**

**-Kitsune**

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Chapter Eight

**Why Me?**

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**General POV**

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The stars shone ever so brightly that night. They were twinkling as if they were happily conversing with one another, holding a conversation that only they, as stars, could understand. Although the heavens were happy that the wondrous Monkey King saved the silver haired Princess, her subconscious was not as pleasant. While the white haired warrior dozed lightly in the other bedroom, I was tossing and turning in her sleep. I was trapped within her sleep – I was having a horrible nightmare.

Beads of sweat ran down her face as her head was thrown from side to side. Her ribs were aching and pulsating with pain due to the amount of force I pressured on them as I threw herself to the side in her futile attempt at escaping her nightmare

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**Ariya's POV**

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_I was back at the palace, but I had no time to wonder what I was doing here. I was relieved, but suddenly a shout caught my attention. Things were happening so fast and then I was running. I was running from the Jade Warlord's minions. _

_Things were going well and I thought that I had lost the majority of them, but, suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my shoulder as an arrow pierced it. It was like liquid fire running through my veins as my blood stained the clothes my mother had given me. But, still, I stumbled on, entering the throne room. I thought that it was my safe haven. Mother and Father rose from their thrones, faces showing alarm at my strange behavior…which was actually not as strange as one would think._

"_M-mother! F-father! The Warlord had his minions attack me! They shot me with an arrow!" I cried out, twisting the arrow from my shoulder. When it was out I looked up at my parents…but their expressions were not what I expected them to be. Mother's face grew stern before a wicked looking smirk formed…and then I left the room by a side door. Father smirked at well, but I decided to overlook it. The expression could have meant anything. He beckoned me to him while the Warlord, himself, craId through the door._

"_I'm frightened, Father. Make him go away." I whispered as I buried my face in Father's robes. He chuckled, wrapping an arm around my sobbing body, and withdrew a medium length knife from his robes. I didn't understand…and then he bent down, facial features morphing into those of my adoptive father's._

"_It is not him you should be frightened of, my dearest daughter." My adoptive father cackled, plunging the knife deep into my side despite my struggles. I screamed in agony, writhing in the madman's grip while I fell to the steps in front of Father's throne._

_I turned my head to the side as the Warlord threw a body down beside me. I grimaced as I heard the dull thud as the body's bones cracked against the hard floor. I winced, not wanting to look at the identity of the body…but, as always, my curiosity got the better of me. I glanced down at the body quickly before I screamed at the top of my lungs. I sobbed loudly as I stared at the lifeless body of my Snowflake…the Monkey King._

"_If I can't have you then nobody can, you filthy whore!" the Jade Warlord declared. He raised his scimitar over my head and I screamed again, closing my eyes and curling into a tiny ball as I awaited my death._

"Moonbeam! Moonbeam, wake up!" someone suddenly shouted, shaking my shoulders lightly. My throat was raw as I let out another scream, snapping my eyes open once again. I jerked forward, falling back upon my mattress as my ribs seared with pain. Oh, God it hurt so much! Tears streamed down my face as I felt myself being drawn into a protective embrace. I continued to cry until I realized who it was.

"Shhh…It's alright. It was just a dream…" the soothing voice of the Monkey King cooed in my ear. His voice was gentle and it helped me to relax. He set his chin on my head as he rocked me back and forth until most of my tears had ceased. I actually didn't remember how long it took, but my Snowflake was there with me. That's all I needed.

Finally, I pulled away from his strong arms, smiling Iepishly as I did so. Oh, I was so embarrassed. Since when I was a female who got so emotional over such a ridiculous and trivial nightmare? I wiped my eyes, careful not to raise my arms too high and jostle my still injured ribs.

"Oh no, I'm sorry." I had to laugh as I noticed the dark splotches on the Monkey King's tunic where my tears had fallen. I chuckled at his confused expression, pointing to the dark splotches on his tunic. How had he not noticed that his tunic was wet?

"Sometimes I worry about you…I got your tunic wet." I mumbled as I shook my head. Embarrassment galore! I peeked a look at his face and was surprised when I saw that his eyes were sparkling. His lips were drawn into a wide grin as he looked down at me as I was cradled into his chest once again.

"Is that all? Don't worry about a thing. It will dry." My Snowflake said, winking down at me. Apparently he had this thing about making me laugh since he was always trying to get me to do so. Sometimes he had an idea – like now – and true to his name he squeaked like an excited monkey. Whenever he did so I had to giggle. Whenever I giggled at his laughter he bluId…but he always seemed happy that he made me laugh.

"Want to see something funny?" he asked me, looking down upon my smiling face. I nodded my head, laughing slightly as he situated me back against her pillows. Honestly, I never liked being coddled, but the way Snowflake did it…it was cute.

"What are you doing?" I had to ask as he marched to the center of the room. He only wagged a finger at her, telling her to be patient while a grin was plastered across his face. He plucked a hair from his cheek, willing it to transform into a baboon version of the Jade Warlord. Holy crapola! I couldn't help but burst out laughing due to the clueless look upon the Warlord's idiotic ace. Giggles escaped my lips as the Warlord jumped onto the bed, only to lose his balance and fall back onto his behind.

The Monkey King was elated, clapping his hands to show his amusement. Everything was going well until the pain started flaring up and I suddenly gasped, clutching at my ribs in pain. I doubled over, coughing, as the Monkey King ruId to my side. I was secretly touched at how worried he was being.

"Are you alright?!" he asked me once I stopped coughing, looking me over for any apparent injuries. I smiled softly, heart fluttering at the way he was worrying about me. I nodded my head, coughing slightly still as her broken ribs pressed up against her lungs. Once the coughing subsided again I smiled into the concerned gaze of the one above me. I was really starting to hate those coughing fits.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." I softly chided, shaking a finger at him. He grinned in relief, dismissing the distorted image of the Warlord. The Warlord shimmered and then turned back into a piece of his hair, floating down harmlessly to the ground. Before he turned into the hair, however, he squeaked, waving goodbye at me before disappearing. I turned from the white-blonde hair and pulled my best puppy dog face.

"Snowflake? Do you know a place where I can get a decent bath?" I asked, fluttering her eyelashes and pushing her bottom lip out. The Monkey King melted in my gaze, which was completely cute by the way, as he stood, picking me up bridal style once again.

"H-hey! I can walk…" I protested, kicking my legs softly. The Monkey King smiled softly at me, a blush dancing its way across my face once again. Over the time I spent with the cuddly and easily excitable man the more I found myself falling in love. The feeling was new to me so I dare not tell the object of my affections lest I scare him off.

"No. I want to carry you. Let me help you…please?" he asked, pulling the puppy dog stunt on me as well. I sighed, melting into both the expression and the embrace as we exited the hut. The two of us walked walked, or mostly the Monkey King walked, for a few minutes before my natural curiosity started to kick in.

"So…where are we going?" I asked, looking around at all the nature and its offered wonders. He smirked, adjusting me in his arms so that my injured side was not pressing against him as much.

"A small hot spring that is not too far from here. I managed to secure some clothes for you as well." he said, somewhat motioning with his hands towards the small pack underneath his Nyoi-bo. I blinked, not believing that I hadn't noticed the pack any sooner. Soon we made it to a small clearing; bamboo shoots surrounded the outside of the hot spring making it possible for the Monkey King to stand guard while I bathed. It was perfect.

I slipped from the Monkey King's grasp, already missing the sense of security I got from his strong arms. They made me feel so safe. By the look of it he was also missing me. We both took a deep breath, willing ourselves to look away. We knew that we couldn't afford to get into a relationship with the Warlord hunting our every move, now could we?

"I'll just go now." I twittered, suddenly nervous. Would the Monkey King peek on me while I was bathing? As if he read my mind his cheeks flushed as he scampered away, promising that he wouldn't peak over his shoulder. The Monkey King plopped down with his back to the thin patch of bamboo branches, his Nyoi-bo propped up on his shoulder. One end reached past his shoulder while the other sat in the bend of this bent knee, ready at a moment's notice if the Warlord's men decided to strike.

I shyly looked over my shoulder before slowly moving behind the thin, protective circle of bamboo. I gripped the small bag that the Monkey King had thrown in my arms in his nervous haste. The hot spring was perfect, bubbles escaping from the water as she dipped a hand into the warm substance.

"Oh…that feels nice…" I sighed as I quickly discarded the tattered robe. I slowly unraveled my bandages as I sat in the warm water, wincing as the minerals floated over the wounds that littered my body. I was surprised that there weren't more but she distantly remembered the special salve the doctor placed upon her wounds.

The swelling in my ankle had gone down, much to the pleasure of the Monkey King, but my ribs were definitely still ailing me. The doctor must have been a miracle worker because my shoulder wound had turned into a small scratch, giving me more mobility than she had before.

I couldn't help but sigh in content, sinking down into the bubbly water. I sat on the rocks for a moment before digging through the pouch for any type of soap. Finally, I found some cleansing herbs, which meant that I could wash with those.

"That dream was so real…" I whispered to myself, fearing that if I talked any louder than the Monkey king would hear me. I stopped washing, thinking about the vividness of the dream. I knew, and admitted to myself, that I was afraid of the Warlord. Who wouldn't? But I didn't get why the Monkey King died in my dream. An immortal can't die…or that was what she was told by the Emperor and Empress.

I shook her head to clear it of those negative thoughts. I sighed again, rinsing away all of her dirt, grime, and troubles. While I was rinsing away the dirt I begin to reminisce about the days before the Warlord started stalking me. The Monkey King and I were happy with one another, but there was one memory that stuck out in my mind - the day that he told me his true name…which also was the first, and only, time I said his name out loud.

_It was another beautiful day on the immortal mountain. Birds were chirping and more flowers were blooming…but the best thing about that day was that I was spending it with the one I cherished. He was sitting in the large peach tree, waiting patiently for me to slip away from the palace. I was not yet used to all the servants so the way they bowed when entering a room unnerved me slightly. It would take some time getting used to._

"_Looking for me?" my sweet melodious voice, as my Snowflake so often describes it as, broke through his train of thoughts. Apparently his mind was in awe when he looked at me – he was staring; I let my mother put me in a more regal looking pair of black training pants and an embroidered sleeveless top, complete with an elaborate over jacket with the crest of the royal family._

_He snapped out of his thoughts once again, as wandering as his thoughts often were, when I sighed, smiling, and sat upon a blanket I had spread out in front of the peach tree. He jumped to the ground, grinning in excitement, and stood in front of my smiling form._

"_I want to tell you my name." he said, once he was sure that nobody was lurking around. His heightened senses could tell exactly when someone who was not supposed to be there was lurking in the shadows. He smiled, winking at me. He whispered his name in my ear, pulling back to look deep within my eyes. He didn't know how honored I was that he told me his true name._

"_Sun WuKong. I like it." I said, smiling as well. He, of course told me that it was his weakness and that I could only say it when I was in dire trouble. I understood, promising not to use the name unless I was in mortal peril._

The Monkey King was snapped out of his thoughts I waved my hand in front of his face. Apparently he hadn't heard me climb out of the hot spring. He blinked as he looked up to my smiling face. He beamed back at me as I was wearing the closest womanly clothes he could find for me. It consisted of a short mid thigh length dress, which was jade, with a normal pair of black training pants underneath. Training shoes were on my feet and my waist length silver hair was down and damp. I held out a shimmering golden hair tie and stuck my lip out in a pout.

"Can you help me braid my hair?" I asked, fluttering her eyelashes innocently at the figure before me. He flushed but eagerly took the hair tie from my much smaller hand. Now he could run his hands through my soft and silky hair. He did so, claiming to rid the silver strands of tangles.

I sat crossed legged in front of the Monkey King, letting myself relax, and tilted my head back so he could have easy access to my hair. He noticed that I was being unnaturally quiet and figured that it may have something to do with my nightmare. He was observant like that.

"Moonbeam? Are you feeling unwell?" he asked me. When I didn't respond to his question he was about to try again, but was cut off by my sudden response. I beat him to it, I suppose.

"No…" I trailed off, thinking of what to say. Finally I decided to come straight out with my problem.

"In my nightmare I was being chased by the Warlord's minions." I started as the man sitting behind me finished braiding her hair. He took me by surprise by wrapping his arms around me from behind, letting me lean against his nicely toned chest.

"I ran to the throne room to warn the Emperor and Empress of the attack but when I was in an embrace with my father…he stabbed me." I mumbled, finally letting the tears pool in my eyes. He hugged me tightly as I began to cry, turning and burying my face in his chest once again.

"And the worst part was that the Warlord killed you!" I wailed, shuddering as a sudden chill swooped through my shoulders. He instinctively tightened his grip around my waist, pulling me close. I didn't mind…I kind of liked it.

"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." the Monkey King cooed into my ear, letting me cling to him like a frightened child. He intended to keep that promise - he was not going anywhere. He always kept his promises…right?


	10. The Road to Recovery

**Authoress note: Man, guys, I feel so horrible about not updating in...a long time!! I had to do my ISearch paper, which was at or more than 10 percent of my english grade and took a long time to do. Then I had an Anatomy project and two tests before my christmas break! Anyway, here's your christmas present!!**

**Thanks to:**

**Caeley - Wow, that must suck. I do appreciate the gesture, though. Thanks for sticking by this story!**

**Wolviegurl - I know! He's so adorable! If he were real i'd so glomp him but that would just make him confused.**

**Chapter Nine**

**The Road to Recovery**

**Ariya's POV**

Three weeks have passed since my nasty spill from the mountain. Three weeks since I was injured and three weeks since the Monkey King, or I guess it was safe enough to call him WuKong, now? Anyway, it was three weeks since he found me and started taking care of me.

I definitely found that I liked living with Sun WuKong than at the palace. Here I was free to call him by his true name if I wished. Of course, though, I would only call him by his true name in my mind to keep him safe. There was no telling who could be lurking in the shadows. Any and all bruising and cuts I received were long gone but my ribs were another story. They still hurt like hell.

The fractured ones had healed thanks to a bit of chi magic from the Monkey King while the more seriously broken ones had turned into mere fractures. Even though they were well on their way to becoming truly healed I still had to move slowly due to the soreness. Geeze, remind me to never break my ribs again! The pain is driving me insane!

Sun WuKong had been hovering over me since I had my disgruntling nightmare three weeks ago and I was proud to say that I hadn't had any others. I was flattered that WuKong was worried about me, but sometimes I wanted my peace and quiet. I felt bad that he was doing all the work while I was stuck in my bed doing nothing.

You can only imagine how ecstatic I was when the Monkey King offered to help me regain my former endurance and to get back into shape. He was currently at the marketplace, trying to buy a practice staff for me to use. He seemed delighted when I told him that it was my weapon of choice along with my favorite weapon.

I was currently dressed in my now normal attire, a short green dress and black training pants, but now I attached a black sash to help keep my dressed closed as I fought, and a jade colored headband to keep my hair from falling into my face. It was mid-afternoon so I thought that I should start with some stretches. I didn't know when WuKong would be back and I didn't want to be sore when we started training.

"Ho…" I exhaled quietly as I crouched down onto my feet, balancing my weight on my toes rather than the arches of her feet she closed her eyes, bringing my arms in a clockwise direction towards my chest. I coiled her fingers in a loose fist, crossing her arms, as she breathed out. Suddenly I sprang forward into a forwards bridge, mindful of my ribs, and pushed myself into a steady handstand, wincing as my ribs stretched. I was in pain but I knew that I needed to be in shape for the inevitable battle with the Jade Warlord.

**General POV**

Meanwhile, Wukong growled in irritation at the man standing in the shop. The small, portly man was an apprentice and wouldn't let him buy any weaponry due to the state of his clothes! Apparently the apprentice thought that just because his clothes were dirty and grungy that he, himself, wouldn't be able to buy anything. The nerve of him! The hardened warrior politely asked the apprentice once more the price of a nicely polished practice Bo staff but all he got was snobbery in return.

"Well, sir, would you mind if I spoke with your master?" The Monkey King asked, gritting his teeth together in annoyance. His eyes narrowed in distaste as the portly man sneered at him, shooing him away as if he were some common street rat. Oh, his time will come, but not at the moment.

"I'm sorry, heathen, but I'm sure that the master wouldn't want to speak with your sorry hide. Now leave and don't bother coming back." the apprentice all but spat in WuKong's face. He sprung back, startled, before glaring at the portly man. His anger would have to wait until later – he wasn't sure what his Moonbeam would do in his absence, but being the stubborn girl that she was he was almost convinced that it wouldn't be good.

"You, sir, should keep in mind that appearances can be misleading." he said shortly, fingering his Nyoi-bo and flipping a bag filled with gold and gems in his hand as he left. He was sure that the apprentice's eyes were bugging out of their sockets at the sight of it. Like he said, the Jade Emperor left him with plenty of money.

Now, the Monkey King had no choice but to travel to the weapon smith on the other side of town. He sighed, shaking his head as he walked. By the time he got back to the hut it would be nearing night and there was no doubt that Ariya would be worried.

At this point the Monkey King was ready to burst out in his anger, eye twitching in severe annoyance. He was glad that he convinced the silver haired Princess to stay at home; he didn't want her seeing him in such a mood. He quickly entered the weapon smith's building due to the strange looks he was receiving. He smiled in relief when he saw the different types of weapons along the wall and for display. A young man came up to the warrior and bowed, smiling despite the look of the man before him.

"Hello! Welcome to our shop! What can I do for you, sir?" the young man asked, tilting his head to the side. It was obvious that he was curious about the light haired warrior's attire, but WuKong could plainly see that the young man was happy to see a customer.

"Do you have any wooden practice bo staffs in stock?" the light haired warrior inquired. He looked around at the rest of the merchandise, but a protective circlet in the window catching his attention. The young man hurried to the back, emerging minutes later with three bo staffs of varying size. He smiled slightly as he saw WuKong inspecting the circlet, the smooth onyx and jade reflecting in the sunlight. It was one of their better pieces, but so far it had caught the attention of only one other patron. WuKong better hurry if he was going to buy it before the other man came back.

"I have your request, sir. Would you like to see the circlet while you are here?" the young man asked, startling the Monkey King from his stupor. He chose the bo that suited Ariya the best and turned back to the circlet. The intricate clasps and dangling bamboo leaves of hand carved jade beckoned to him, but he shook his head, deciding that he would attend to what was necessary first.

"Can you hold the circlet for a while? I would like to purchase it, along with the staff, and make a special order." he said, formulating a plan. The young man nodded his head as he described his idea. He wanted Ariya to have something to protect herself - well…something better than the wooden practice bo that he was buying her. The bo staff wouldn't stand a chance against a weapon made of metal.

"I want a staff made of steel - mixed with copper for the color. I also want you to inscribe bamboo shoots and leaves dancing on each end." he explained, nodding to himself. The cost was no matter since the Emperor said he would pay any expense related to his daughter. The young man said that the order would be ready within two weeks, plenty of time for Ariya's birthday to become within reach.

He looked back at the low sun, deciding that if he left town now then the two of them would have time to fit in a short practice battle before the two had to retire for the night. The Monkey King paid the man and left in a hurry, determined to make it back before the sun set.

Two hours passed before the Monkey King made it back to his shared hut. The Monkey King was happy that he calculated the trip correctly. The sun was barely setting so he was sure that they had an adequate amount of time for a short spar. He arrived quickly in the small clearing in front of their hut, fingering the wooden staff within his grasp. He rounded the bend and stopped short, his breath catching in his throat. As he looked upon Ariya's urethral beauty the pace of his heart began to quicken. The setting sun cast a soft halo-like glow as the light radiated from her form.

"Beautiful." he breathed as he gazed upon her meditating form. A small smile was spread across her face, causing the battle hardened warrior to smile as well. He walked forward cautiously, smiling wider as her chi energy ran upon his body, caressing him as she opened her eyes.

"Hello, Snowflake! Welcome home." she said cheerfully, eyes sparkling in excitement when she saw the weapon in the Monkey King's hands. He smirked as he literally felt her happiness.

"Can we spar, now? Please, please, please?" she asked him, standing and stretching the muscles in her back. He grinned at her, tossing the wooden practice bo staff into her outstretched hands.

"Yay!" she squeaked, twirling the bo staff as she turned. Her impishness caused WuKong to smirk, happiness seeping through his pores. Things were finally looking up again and he was glad that she felt cheerful again. Whenever she was sad he felt sad and hopeless as well.

He stepped back, giving her enough room to test out the bo staff. She twirled it from one hand to the other, over her back, returned it to her other hand. He watched, entranced, as the wind blew her hair around her face, the light of the setting sun giving her an even more angelic glow.

He jumped back as she suddenly shot towards him, catching him by surprise. He grinned at her, ready to strike at any given moment. WuKong dodged a blow to his left as she sprang forward, agile on her feet. He realized that she must have stretched beforehand as he grinned again, happy to finally have someone to spar with whom was actually near his level.

"Hey! You cheated!" she exclaimed when he jumped on top of a tree branch mingled in with the bamboo. He stuck his tongue out at her and wiggled his eyebrows, daring her to follow him up into the tree.

"No, my dear Moonbeam. All is fair in love and war." he recited, giggling at her when she huffed at him. Suddenly her eyes flashed as she crouched down, putting all of her weight onto the balls of her feet, before using the bo staff as a pole. She vaulted up, taking WuKong by surprise as she landed behind him. He stumbled back but brought his Nyoi-bo up in time to block a strike from her own weapon. She stuck her tongue out at him, smiling as she danced from branch to branch.

The wind blew softly through their hair, leaves twirling around their dancing bodies. If anyone had stumbled upon their spar they would have thought it was a practiced dance. Both bodies were swift, although Ariya's would seize up a few times. The Monkey King was patient; each time a muscle would seize he would sit down with her and wait out the painful spasm. If it was particularly bad spasm then he would massage the muscle until it stopped. When the spasms finished they would get back up and continue their spar.

All was going well until Ariya landed on a tree branch at a weird angle; her foot slipped off the branch as she teetered backwards. WuKong had a small flashback of when she fell over the cliff as he dashed towards her, jumping off the branch and pulling her body against his. He somehow managed to turn in midair, using his Nyoi-bo as a propeller, and winced when his back landed hard against the ground. Ariya gasped, eyes widening as she realized that it was WuKong who landed on the ground and not her.

"Oh my god, Snowflake! Are you alright?!" she asked, scrambling up. She helped him sit up, checking him for wounds. He winced when she touched a small gash on his right arm, the one that he had fallen the hardest on. Apparently he had cut it on a sharp rock when he landed. The Monkey King figured that he had scraped it against a couple of rocks or a branch when they were falling, but he didn't really care. He wasn't really paying attention; he was only making sure that Ariya was safe.

"It's alright. It barely hurts. Don't worry about it." he said, wincing again when he put pressure on it. She looked at him defiantly, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Don't give me that. It obviously hurts…and it's my entire fault. I'm going to get some bandages so wait here." she said, standing and running off before WuKong could contradict her. He sat up, cradling his injured arm in his lap. It was really just a small scratch, but it was deep and bleeding freely. He didn't have to wait long for Ariya to return with some bandages, a small frown on her face. WuKong could tell that she felt guilty about it. He personally thought that she looked cute.

"It's not your fault." he said, taking hold of the hand that was carefully holding his injured arm. She didn't believe him, though, and refused to meet his gaze.

"Yes, it is. If I hadn't have fallen then you wouldn't have jumped after me." she said, looking down. He sighed softly before leaning forward and hugging the silver haired girl. She stiffened, tensing up before relaxing and wrapping her arms around his waist in a loose hug.

"It was an accident, little one. Now, finish bandaging me. I would like to do it myself but it is kind of difficult with only one hand to work with." he said, grinning at the beauty before him. She smiled back at him, all traces of the tears in her eyes gone. Ariya turned back to work on his injury, making sure to take her time. When she was finished she gave it a little pat and returned to the hut to put away the bandages.

As she left WuKong smirked, a devious spark dancing in his eyes. When Ariya returned he winced, as if his injury was causing him pain.

"Oh, does your injury hurt?" she asked him, worry lacing her voice. He nodded somewhat, giving her the infamous puppy dog pout.

"Can you kiss it and make it better?" he asked, chuckling somewhat. Her eyes grew large and she smacked him in the shoulder, laughing out loud. He still maintained his hopeful look as she picked up his arm.

"I'll only do this once so you better be satisfied." she said, laughing as she kissed his bandaged wound. He grinned widely, obviously satisfied as he jumped up. She stood as well, both of them mounting their bo staffs on their backs. She turned to him, a devious spark dancing in her eyes as well. It seems that both of them were feeling quite playful at the moment.

"Tag, your it!" she shouted as she touched his shoulder, climbing a tree, and running away. He stood there, stunned, before realizing that she wanted to play with him. WuKong dashed after her, watching her as she jumped from branch to branch, her laughter ranging out through the clearing. He used his Nyoi-bo to jump into the branches, before putting it away once again, chasing after her. Once he grazed her shoulder, but he was only able to touch the cloth before she danced away, just out of WuKong's reach.

"Hey!" he laughed loudly as she jumped back over him, landing on the ground once again. She could almost see the hut; she was gasping in air as she sprinted the last few paces in order to reach the door. She was almost there but a great force knocked her off her feet, sending her spiraling to the side. By the tone of the giggling she could tell that it was her Snowflake. They spun a few paces to the side, just out of reach of the door, landing on a soft mound of grass.

"Gotcha." he whispered, mouth close to her ear. She rolled over, blushing madly because of their position. Ariya was lying on her back, hair fanned out behind her, while WuKong was above her, hands on either side of her head propping him up. His knees were on either side of her thighs, pinning her there.

"Yeah…you got me. What're you going to do about it?" she asked, whispering back at him. He looked down at their position, for once not worried about the outcome. He leaned down, just a hairs breath away from her face. Both of their eyes were glassy, both hoping for the same outcome, but neither one knowing what the other was thinking.

WuKong brushed his lips against hers but jumped up when a splash of very cold water hit the base of his exposed neck. He jumped around, trying to get the tingly feeling off of his skin while Ariya sat up, laughing at his antics. Suddenly, cold rain pelted down upon them, causing them to take cover in their hut. The sun was down, so Ariya thought that it would be an appropriate time to go to sleep. She wandered over to the sulking Monkey King and stood on her tiptoes, kissing the warrior on the cheek.

"Goodnight, my Snowflake." she whispered in his ear, sliding her hand down his cheek. She turned away, unaware of neither the intense stare now directed at her back nor the deep blush dusted across the warrior's face. WuKong grinned. He decided that today was a definitely a success.


	11. Bandits Crash The Party

**Authoress note: Hey guys! I have the next chapter ready for ya! I'm probably going to forget updating once a week. If its ready I'll update for ya.**

**Thanks to:**

**wolviegurl - Yeah, I know! I'm taking it nice and slow since I'm turning the story into a trilogy. ^_^**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Bandits Crash the Party**

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**General POV**

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For two days WuKong and Ariya avoided each other, both worried that they might have offended one another. Two excruciating days of blushing, stammering, and avoiding eyes while they were in the same room. Two whole days of acting like children, but neither of the two could help it.

Both of them were annoyed with themselves and their foolish behavior, but neither one of the two knew how to break the ice. WuKong was worried that his forward behavior towards his injury had made the beautiful princess upset, however, Ariya was fretting over the kiss. Even though she had been living in ancient China for almost a year she knew almost nothing about their culture. She had been living in an abandoned hut for half the time she was there for Jade Emperor's sake!

Ariya sighed and rolled over, onto her back, a foot dangling from the branch of the tree she was currently sitting in. The wind sluggishly trailed through her hair, sending her bangs into her face despite her headband. Her hair was getting too long…perhaps she should ask WuKong if she should cut it? She so desperately wanted to apologize to the warrior but he was currently bouncing around the hut in anticipation. A messenger bird had arrived for him and he had been jumping off the walls ever since.

"What am I going to do?" the Princess moaned, rolling over onto her stomach and pressing her face against the cool wood of the tree. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her as the branch she was lying on vibrated. Ariya didn't move from her position, knowing that it was her energetic Monkey King. The Princess blushed, thinking about their near kiss and the one she had planted on his cheek. She flinched lightly was she felt a strong hand rest softly upon her upper back.

"Moonbeam?" WuKong asked softly, not sure if the light haired girl was awake. He jumped slightly and backed away as she rolled over and sat up.

"Yeah, Snowflake?" she asked just as softly, averting her gaze to the bark's alluring shade. Slowly the minutes ticked by until neither one of them could stand the cruel silence any longer.

"I'm sorry!" both of them exclaimed simultaneously, looking at each other before bursting out into a fit of laughter.

"It's alright."

"It is fine." Both of them said in unison once again, laughter bubbling in their throats. They grinned at each other, both extremely happy that there was no more tension between the two. When their laughter settled down, the Monkey King retained his happy aura, but Ariya could sense his somewhat serious attitude.

"I have to go to the market for a while." WuKong blurted out, squeezing his eyes shut and cursing himself for being so hasty. Now that Ariya's curiosity had been piqued he knew that she would want to come with him. She was already turning towards him with that special innocent glint in her eyes - the one that always made him weak in the knees.

"No, forgive me, but you can't come with me. It's a surprise for you." he said, quickly cutting her off. He couldn't listen to what she had to say or she would manage to weasel her way into the secret. Her eyes lost their sparkle and her whole demeanor suddenly seemed to deflate as she turned away from him.

"I understand." she said, crossing her arms over her chest. WuKong's heart seemed to crack as he gazed upon the wounded look in her eyes, but stood anyway. He needed to get to the market to pick up his special request order. It was early, but he knew that Ariya would love it.

"I'll be back by noon." he said, smiling happily. He jumped off the branch before she said anything because he knew that if he heard her sweet voice he would be roped into anything that she wanted. She may not know it but the sweet princess had him wrapped around her finger. He bounded down the trail and left Ariya to herself, willing himself not to look back.

"Well…at least I tried…" she said sadly to herself, jumping off the branch as well and walking into the hut. She didn't want to admit it but she wanted to go to the market as well. She was feeling a little restless since her wounds had healed. Since she was alone until noon, and it was seven now, she decided to take a soothing bath in the hot springs near the hut.

Ariya gathered the necessary items and three towels, an extra just in case, and headed to take a relaxing bath, humming the entire way.

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**Wukong's POV**

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My heart was pounding as I travelled as fast as I could to the smithy, and, despite the sudden giddiness that filled my system, I was quiet the entire way. I knew it. I just _knew_ that my beautiful Moonbeam would love the new staff I had made for her. I would allow her to name it – warriors named their own weapons to form a bond with them. I felt my face stretching into a grin as the young man from a few days before present me with the newly made weapon.

The metallic alloy shone golden, much like the staff I owned, and had an intricate array of bamboo leaves dancing around the ends. Traces of jade could be seen infused within the crevices and, much to my surprise, small spikes covered both ends in between the bamboo leaves. The young man seemed to notice my confusion and explained why there were small spikes upon the end.

"There was some extra metal left over in the forge and we decided to use it for the staff, sir. Now it can be used both for offense and defense, no matter the strength of the wielder." he explained, pricking his own finger upon one of the razor sharp spikes. The seasoned smithy and I both grinned in excitement. Ariya would love it, we were sure of it.

"Perfect." I could help but breathe happily as the young man smiled, wrapping it in a piece of tarp for transportation. I carefully mounted the staff on my back, next to the Nyoi-bo, and took off for a small clearing in the woods. Once I was there I unhooked both weapons, unveiling the newly made one.

"Chi magic." I whispered, concentrating, and exhaled through my nose. Soon enough I could feel my energy level spiking, encasing my entire body and the weapons. I concentrated harder and started chanting an old mantra; it was something I learned long ago. The energy infused within the weapons, sinking into their very core and melding itself until it was so intricately laced it could never be removed.

"Son WuKong!" I exclaimed, snapping my eyes open. The remaining magic was sucked within the weapons, linking them with the indicated key words. Now she could call on me whenever she had her weapon by either calling or thinking my full true name.

I stood, wrapping her weapon again, and mounted both of them upon my back. Now all he had to do was to get back to the hut and give the weapon to Ariya, and then I can sleep a little bit better.

* * *

**General POV**

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Ariya sighed happily as the warm and bubbling water from the hot spring soothed her stiff and worried muscles. Two hours soaking in the hot springs definitely helped her mood. She no longer felt bitter about not being able to travel to the market. Instead, she was becoming increasingly excited, wondering about the surprise that the Monkey King mentioned.

Feeling refreshed and clean she climbed from the bubbling water, drying herself off and dressing in a short sleeved traditional top and pants with a sleeveless mid-calf length jacket. She ambled back to their home and decided to prepare a special lunch, unaware of the several pairs of eyes following her every move.

By the time she arrived back at the hut another hour had passed, but she was content, arms laden with flowers. She knew that WuKong liked the smell of flowers but he tried to hide it in order to seem more masculine.

"How about fish for lunch?" she asked herself, setting the flowers in separate vases around the hut. She stretched, putting away her jacket, and located the fishing pole. Ariya paused where she had set the practice bo, thinking about taking it, before shaking her head and deciding that she wouldn't need it.

"I won't be gone long." she reasoned with herself, leaving the hut and walking towards the stream not even ten minutes away. She must not have had much luck that day because by the time she had caught two good fish it was almost noon. She winced, somewhat sad that she wouldn't have lunch ready by the time WuKong returned home.

She stood, getting ready to go back to the hut when she froze, the sound of twigs snapping echoing through the clearing. Cursing herself for leaving her practice bo at the hut she dropped everything she was holding, including the fish, and sprinted back towards the small shelter.

By the feel of their chi energy they felt more like common bandits, most likely hired by the Jade Warlord. Ariya was almost at the hut's door when she was tripped, landing o her still sore side when she stopped falling. There was a small scramble as she crawled through the door, trying to close it with her foot as she scanned the entryway for her practice weapon.

Suddenly, a bright light exploded in her field of vision and the weak door splintered into pieces, grazing the surprised girl's skin as she jerked to the ground. She rolled across the floor, grabbing her practice weapon as she stood once again. She was on the defensive, weapon drawn diagonally in front of her, but it was hard to see within the smoke. Ariya closed her eyes, deciding to sense them with her chi energy instead of her regular senses.

Her senses increased incredibly as she smirked, dodging blows from the sides and bending backwards to avoid a critical blow from in front of her. She was managing pretty well by herself but her breathing was becoming ragged due to some sort of smoke. She backed away from the oncoming blows but a burning sensation from behind her caused her to falter.

That one hesitation caused her downfall as several blows landed upon her shoulders and still sore midsection. While she was stunned a blow knocked her on her back, her eyes flying open in surprise.

Bright flames filled her line of vision, which explained the burning sensation that she felt earlier, and smoke filled her lungs. She was jerked to the side; the practice bo was knocked out of her grasp and into the flames due to the force of the blow.

"NO!" she managed to choke out before two sets of rough hands pulled her up. Her hands were roughly bound behind her back as she was forced from the flaming building. She was pushed down onto her knees in front of a large and smelly man.

"Well hello, beautiful." he grunted, grinning at her. Hs mouth was missing teeth and the ones that were left were brown and decayed. His body odor created such a cloud of stench that Ariya's eyes watered whenever the bandit boss came too close.

"You must be the pretty Princess Ariya." he cooed, circling around her kneeling form. Two other bandits stood at her shoulders while a third held a blade in between her shoulder blades. She cringed as the leader trailed a finger down her cheekbones. The blazing fire soon diminished since the wood was damp, but the embers still cast an enchanting glow around her features.

The other bandits stood around them in a circle, throwing sneers and jabs at her fallen form. The leaders smirk grew until Ariya had had enough. She smirked as well before drawing her head back and spitting in his face. He jerked back angrily, wiping the spit from his face, before slapping her. The hit had enough force to send her to the ground, much to the amusement to the other bandits.

"I don't think the Warlord will mind if we take a little taste. The leader said amid the array of hoots and cheers. Ariya's eyes started to water a she let out an array of cries and pleads. She struggled against her bonds, much to the amusement of the bandits, and kicked her feet. She managed to kick someone in the shin before her legs were bound together. The men grabbed at her clothes, ignoring her cries and screams.

Suddenly the groping stopped when someone attacked the crowd, hitting each bandit member at once. The hands that were clinging to her arms were viciously torn away as she forced her eyes to open, gasping slightly when she spied her Monkey King. The dying embers outlined his face with a demonic glow as he glared at anyone who dared to challenge him. His hair had come undone, framing his face in a wild array of knots.

The bandits charged at the furious warrior, annoyed that the one man had ruined their fun. WuKong smirked at the obviously stupid group, crouching down and bringing the Nyoi-bo in front of him. He dashed forward, cracking the metallic staff against each man's ribs, legs, or back. Once all of the petty bandits were taken care of he looked around for the boss, striding over to where he was when the smelly man was found.

"Who sent you?" WuKong growled, yanking the smelly man to his feet. The man cowered in fear, drawing into himself as he brought up his arms to defend his already ugly face.

"The Jade Warlord! Don't hurt me!" the man squeaked as WuKong shoved him to the ground.

"Leave!" the Monkey King exclaimed, pointing to the worn path. All of the bandits jumped up, even the ones with leg wounds, and raced down the path, not daring to look back. WuKong smirked victoriously before rushing to where Ariya lied, still bound by the wrists and feet.

The Monkey King cut easily through the binding, helping Ariya to sit up once the ropes were free from her wrists and ankles. He looked her over; inspecting her clothing and the new bruises she gained from the fight. Once the warrior was satisfied that the Princess was relatively unharmed he drew her into a tight embrace. She laughed slightly, hugging back and tangling her fingers into his freed locks.

"You know…you really look like a monkey with your hair down." she said, causing the man to laugh as well before sighing in relief.

"I guess it was smart of me to have this made then, huh?" he asked, smiling softly before pulling the extra bundle from his back. She gasped, having forgotten entirely about the surprise that he was going to bring back to her. She carefully unwrapped the tarp before drawing back her hand in astonishment.

"Snowflake…I don't know what to say." she stuttered before suddenly throwing herself at him. The warrior readily accepted her with open arms, tightening them around her thin frame.

"Just say or think my true name and I'll come running." he whispered, his mouth close to her ear.

"I think I'll name it Hitokiri. It means 'manslayer'." she said, removing the glimmering weapon from its binding. The Monkey King nodded in approval, happy that she loved the weapon. Hopefully sometime soon he could reveal his true feelings to the beautiful Princess.


	12. The Peach Banquet

**Authoress Note: Alright, since nobody has voted in my poll for a while I'll start writing my others stories as well. Then I'll rotate writing chapters. ^_^ How does that sound? If it doesnt work then I'll just go back to writing this one book and then go onto the next one.**

**Thanks to:**

**Wolviegurl - Thanks! I wanted it to be a long story but then if it is too long people will start to get bored.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

**The Peach Banquet**

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**Ariya's POV**

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I remember slowly waking up the next morning, the crisp and cool morning air swirling through my hair and clothes. I was unable to go back to sleep because it was kind of cold…and due to the previous day's events. My eyes were probably bloodshot as I fluttered them against the first rays of the sun's light. I gasped softly and felt my cheeks go red as I felt a pair of arms tighten around my waist. Arms were around my waist! Wait…I remembered falling asleep against my Snowflake last night as we talked of our future now that our home was in mere ashes.

Hesitantly I turned around, not wanting to wake the sleeping warrior behind me, and gashed at his urethral beauty. The sun's rays outlined his face, casting a halo of splendid wonder around his face despite the grime and his knotted hair. I couldn't help but gasp again when I suddenly and painfully became aware of our position. I ended up sitting in his lap while his arms were tightly wrapped around my waist. His back was propped up against one of the larger trees and our staffs were not far off.

My heart pounded hard and it felt like it was trying to break through my chest, fluttering with unabashed nervousness. There was no reason for the sudden bout of butterflies in my stomach…was there? The last time I checked I only liked him as a friend, right?

Finally, after a while of pure nervousness, my Monkey King decided to stir. He tightened his arms around my small frame once again before he fully regained his senses. Almost immediately he released his grip me, most likely because I was in his lap, blushing furiously and stammering apologies.

"I-I'm so sorry! Please f-forgive me!" WuKong exclaimed, waving his hands in front of his face. I couldn't help but laugh softly, causing the Monkey King to freeze and cock his head to the side in curiosity.

"Please. There is nothing to forgive." I happily said, standing from his lap and straightening my clothes. I combed my fingers through my hair and braided it, unaware of the pair of longing eyes tracing her body.

"B-but…" WuKong protested, falling silent when a slim finger was placed upon his lips. I chuckled slightly as his eyes went cross eyed, trying to pinpoint the tip.

"Quiet. If anything I thought the embrace was flattering and comforting. It made me feel…safe." I admitted, able to confess my feelings to the warrior. Our gaze lasted for a moment longer before an idea struck a chord in WuKong's mind. I, of course, had no idea what it was at the time. He grimaced, turning towards the pile of charred wood and ashes that used to be their home.

"What is it, Snowflake?" I asked, concern filling my once serene features. The warrior glanced back at me, wondering how he was going to break the question to me. WuKong once told me that he never knew how to ask me a question because he always wanted it to be the right one. He also said that I deserved so much better that what he could provide and now he could take me back to the palace. I, for one, didn't mind living with him.

"Moonbeam…we have no more place to live. I promised the Emperor and Empress that I would take care of you…but now that we have no residence I have no choice to take you back to the Jade Palace." he said, hanging his head in despair.

"W-what? No! Y-you can't! What about the Warlord?" I asked, jumping to her feet. Unshed tears made my sight blurry as I bit her lip, trying so hard to keep them from falling. He rose to his feet as well before taking me into his arms, rubbing my back in a comforting manner.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you from that heathen. He won't touch you, I swear on my life." WuKong murmured into my hair as he cupped my face, his thumbs swiping away my tears as they started to fall. God, I felt like such an imbecile.

"You promise?" I asked, feeling like a child once again.

"I promise." he whispered, leaning in closer to my face. His eyes were tracing my lips.

"Really?" I asked once again, leaning towards his face as well. I couldn't think of anything but kissing him. I couldn't help but inhale his wonderful scent. He smelt of bamboo and freshly fallen rain with a hint of that distinct masculine scent. He smiled slightly before leaning in, a breaths hair between our lips.

"Really really." he whispered, before brushing his lips against mine. He pulled back, searching my eyes for any sort of hint at what I was feeling, but I definitely surprised him when I jumped towards him, smashing my lips against his. His arms immediately tightened around my waist, crushing my against his muscular frame as my arms snaked around his neck. We kissed feverishly before pulling away, smiling at each other like a pair of idiots.

"Believe me now?" he asked me, pressing his forehead against mine. WuKong's arms were still around my waist, holding my petit body against his larger one. I grinned at him, nodding my head before another thought struck me.

"Wait…wasn't there supposed to be some sort of banquet going on soon?" I asked the Monkey King, tilting my head to the side. His eyes widened as he remembered that there was, indeed, the Peach Banquet in four days. He vigorously nodded his head and released his arms from around my waist, walking over to our staffs leaning against a tree not far from where they were.

"Yes, actually. It is called the Peach Banquet, celebrating the everlasting life of the Jade Emperor and his wife. Those would be your parents." he said, adjusting his clothing and attaching his bo on his back. He handed me my Hitokiri as I adjusted my own clothes, crouching down in front of me when I was done. He laughed at my questioning look, looking back at me with sparkling eyes.

"Get on my back; it will be faster to travel this way." he explained as I made an 'oh' noise. Still I hesitated, finally removing the staff from the Monkey King's back and mounting it on my own. At his questioning look I laughed, explaining that I didn't want it digging into my stomach. He blushed out of embarrassment, looking forward so I wouldn't see the light red color dust across his face. I saw it anyway and it looked cute.

He hoisted me onto his back, adjusting me slightly so that I would be comfortable while we were traveling.

"Are you sure that I'm not too heavy?" just had to ask him, causing him to freeze in shock. He looked back at me with his eyes narrowed. The look in his eyes was kind of shocking; it was like he wanted to throttle someone.

"Who said such things to you?" he asked, starting to walk. I cast her eyes downward, biting my lip while my eyes welled up slightly with tears.

"Well…some people at my school, a place where young students go to learn, used to make fun of my weight. I'm not as skinny as some of the more popular girls so they ridiculed me." I said, keeping my head downcast. Since my head was down, I didn't see the look of rage flare to life in WuKong's eyes. He tightened his hold on my thighs, silently reassuring me that he was listening. I may not have seen his expression, but his actions told me what he was feeling.

"Don't listen to them. You're beautiful just the way you are and if they can't realize what I'm seeing, then they don't deserve their sight." WuKong commented, turning back to look at my now shocked eyes. I smiled softly, causing him to grin as well, a feeling of accomplishment to course through his veins. I knew him so well.

We continued talking about random things as he jumped through the trees and from rock to rock, a trick he learned in his long life. It seemed like no time at all before we landed before the palace gates, startling the guards who were stationed there.

"Your Highness!" they exclaimed, rushing forward to greet me. They helped me off WuKong's back, pausing enough for me to give the surprised warrior his staff back before rushing me off to the throne room. I looked back, chuckling as The Monkey King stood motionless, eyes wide, while he watched me disappear around the corner.

If I knew him as well as I thought, then he would have snapped out of his surprised state and dashed the opposite way, deciding to spy on the banquet in order to make sure the Warlord didn't get any ideas.

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**General POV**

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The two guards were babbling on endlessly while lightly tugging on Ariya's hand, guiding her towards her parents. One rushed into the throne room while the other shifted around excitedly, bouncing on the soles of his feet. The young Princess couldn't help but giggle behind her hand at the happiness the older man so actively displayed.

A few minutes later the young man from before returned, beckoning Ariya in the throne chamber as the courtiers exited from another doorway. She rushed in, stopping a few feet from the Emperor and Empress, waiting for them to make the first move. They studied her for a few seconds before the Empress burst into tears, standing and rushing as fast as she could towards her daughter.

"Oh, my daughter! I was so worried about you!" she exclaimed, bringing the tearing girl into her arms. She smiled softly, returning the embrace with as much enthusiasm as her mother. Another pair of warm arms wrapped around the two weeping woman, signifying that her father had joined the happy embrace.

"The Monkey King has done well. He is welcome in the palace at any time." he declared, pulling back to smile warmly at his daughter. She smiled back at him but suddenly frowned, remembering the charred and decayed mass of wood that represented their home.

"Father, our hut was destroyed…and I would rather not live in the palace while the Warlord is still here." she said, eyes downcast as she voiced her dilemma.

Though both of her parents were sad they knew that what their daughter spoke was true. As long as the Warlord resided with the palace walls it was not safe for Ariya.

"We shall give you permission to live in another hut on the other side of the mountain. The Monkey King shall protect you, dear. He loves you." her mother said, finally letting her daughter free from the embrace. Ariya's cheeks flushed, the heat sprinkling itself across her face. She looked up, smiling softly in her mother's direction.

"I love him too, mother." she whispered, much to her parents' delight. After her large confession her mother swept her away from the throne room, demanding playfully that she bathe and wash her hair. Once she was done one of the maids helped her dress; the dress was a deep forest green with a pearly white sash. A lighter green overcoat with bamboo shoots stitched on it was draped over her shoulders, matching her dainty slippers.

"May I keep my Hitokiri with me? It would make me feel safer." she asked her mother as the exited the baths. The Empress hesitated slightly, glancing at the weapon that her daughter clutched in her hands before nodding her head in consent. That way if the Warlord decided that he would make an appearance, she would be protected.

Ariya thanked her mother before mounting it on her back and exiting the palace. She made her way into the gardens and sat on her father's left side, enjoying the breeze that was playing with her loose hair. Her mother insisted that she wear it down for the special occasion.

Suddenly, others began to arrive in the gardens, greeting her kindly and politely. They asked her how she was doing and most of the women of nobility embraced her kindly, as if they were her siblings. She smiled, finally feeling accepted, until a rough and chiseled hand landed upon her shoulder. For a moment she thought that it was WuKong but that feeling went away as the hand tightened almost painfully. She winced slightly, and was about to turn, but a peach hit her assailant almost square in the eyes. WuKong flew out from the trees, dancing upon the tables, and jumping into the very large peach tree.

"Agh!" her assailant growled, releasing Ariya's shoulder to remove the pulp from his face. The startled girl rose quickly and stepped to the other side of her father, who looked uncomfortable but had no power to help his daughter. If he were to say anything the Warlord could have easily harmed his precious daughter since he was so close to her.

The Monkey King laughed, grabbing another peach and biting into it. His crazy antics made Ariya grin as well, happy to have someone to distract her from the evil menace behind her. She rushed forward towards the tree just as WuKong jumped down, winking at the Emperor and making him chuckle.

"My Lord! We can't possibly ignore this…this monstrosity's antics!" the Warlord exclaimed, face and hair still wet from the peach's juice. He went to pull his sword but the Emperor held up a hand. Ariya wrapped an arm around WuKong's waist as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, both of them smiling happily at one another.

"No. Let him go…and give him a title. From this day forth he shall be known as the Monkey King, and shall be called so by everyone in the palace." the Emperor said, smiling at his daughter's happiness.


	13. Reflections

**Authors Note: Sorry, this is so late. I'm doing my round robin thing and working on...what is it? 5 stories, now? I cant help it! My imagination demands for me to work on several things at once! Plus the snow is making me crazy! It rarely snows in North Carolina.**

**Anyway, thanks to:**

**Wolviegurl - Awww...continue reading and tell me what you think! Revews make my day and your opinion is seriously appreciated.**

**Caeley - Wow, you don't have to go to that much trouble on my account. Thanks for thinking of me, though! **

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Chapter 12

Reflections

The Emperor was true to his word and supplied Ariya and WuKong with another place to live. This one, however, was quite a bit larger than the other; their bedrooms no longer resembled small closets. The Empress supplied them with new clothes, still somewhat disappointed that her daughter refused to war the more elaborately embroidered dresses.

Ariya remained friends with Caeley, one of the more loyal servant girls who worked at the palace. They met periodically at the large river behind the mountain, just to enjoy spending time with one another and chat about 'girl things'. it just so happened that today was one of the days that Ariya was supposed to meet with the lively servant girl.

The silver haired princess felt, for once, like dressing in a feminine way, donning a crème colored shift and a black ankle length over dress. The over dress had silver water lilies embroidered in it and had a pair of slits on either side reaching her mid thigh. Her sash was a pale crème color to match her shift, complementing her pale skin color. Underneath the dress she had a pair of smoky gray pants, and, to complete the outfit, a pair of black slippers.

She made sure that WuKong was napping before searching out a piece of parchment and writing down a quick note. She was glad that she had taken the time to learn Chinese in class or she would have had a problem communicating in her current home.

The Princess grabbed Hitokiri and exited the house, mounting the weapon upon her back as she went. Once she stepped out of the house she immediately felt the link strengthen between the two weapons. Ariya sighed, actually feeling protected now that the Monkey King entered her life a few minutes of traveling in silence rewarded her because soon she could hear the chirping of birds and the rushing of the river's water. She broke through the foliage, not surprised to see Caeley already there.

She was dressed in a simple brown dress with a soft green sash and brown slippers but a cheerful smile was adorning her face.

"Hello, Caeley." Ariya chirped, feeling extremely happy for some reason. The servant stood quickly and bowed, still nervous to be in the presence of a member of the royal family.

"H-hello, your highness." Caeley stuttered back, deeply bowing again to the older woman

"Please. Call me Ariya. How many times have I told you that?" the Princess chided softly, sliding Hitokiri off her back and laying it against one leg as she sat down. She chuckled at the sight of Caeley's face as she stared at the weapon, eyes shining in excitement.

"Where did you get **that**, Lady?" Caeley asked as her brown hair floated in the wind. Ariya laughed happily, pulling Hitokiri so that it laid across her lap instead of it leaning against her.

"Wu - I mean the Monkey King crafted it for me so that I would have something to protect myself with." she said as they both admired the swirling designs of the bamboo leaves. Ariya sighed a dreamy look settling on her face as she thought of WuKong's generosity. A blush dusted across her face as well as Caeley giggled, knowing what the beautiful Princess was thinking of.

"You like the Monkey King, don't you?" she asked, a sly grin creeping across her face as she poked the silver haired girl in the stomach. Ariya's blush deepened as she looked elsewhere, determined to not let her secret loose.

"Come on, Lady Ariya. You can tell me." Caeley whined playfully, watching the Princess' resolve crumble. She mumbled something incoherently, the blush darkening enough to swallow her entire face.

"What was that?" she asked, cupping her hand around her ear and smirking to herself. She knew that eventually Ariya would crumble because the secret was too much for her to bare by herself.

"I said that I love him!" the silver haired Princess exclaimed, eyes widening as she put a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. Her face, if it could, flushed even darker as Caeley squealed in excitement.

"That's so romantic!" he young servant girl sighed, clasping her hands together over her heart. Her eyes sparkled as she rambled on about true love and weddings when Ariya stopped her by clamping a hand over the younger girl's mouth.

"Hey, now. I early to talk about weddings. I don't even know if he loves me back." Ariya exclaimed, face falling with that small fact. She looked away, watching all the fish swim around in circles. The silver haired Princess removed her shoes and stuck her feet into the water, giggling slightly when the fish went to suck on her toes.

"You now that's not true, Lady. Have you two kissed, yet?" Caeley asked, a determined gleam flaring to life in her eyes. Ariya looked away, nodding her head and biting her lip in an attempt to prevent herself fro breaking out in a fit of nervous giggles. She could hear the young servant take in a sharp breath; she was waiting for the sonic screech that was sure to follow.

"Lady!! Don't you see?! You're perfect for each other!" Caeley did, indeed, screech in excitement. She latched onto the silver haired Princess' shoulders, shaking her slightly. Ariya looked back at the servant, bewildered, and started chuckling in admission.

"I suppose you are right, but I will do nothing in the matter. He is, after all, the male, is he not?" she laughed, winking at the younger girl. Her companion nodded quickly, her hair flying in all directions but she hardly noticed.

"May I come to your wedding, Lady Ariya?" she begged, dropping to her knees in front of the Princess. Ariya was shocked, never having been in this situation before. She smiled softly, eyes tearing up at the sight of the younger girl on her knees. She stood, grasping Caeley's elbows, and helping her stand as well.

"I would be honored if you would attend my wedding, but, that is such a long way off. Would you remember?" Ariya asked, elbowing the girl softly in the side as she smiled happily.

"Of course! Thank you, Lady Ariya!" the younger girl exclaimed, trying hard to keep her excitement in check. Of course, Ariya was never one to follow the rules so she grabbed onto the surprised servant girl, hugging her tightly. Caeley got over her shock a few seconds later, hugging the older girl back just as tightly; it was the start and strengthening of a wonderful friendship.

MEANWHILE

The Jade Warlord paced up and down the length of his private quarters, mouth set into a strait line. His teeth were clenched together in annoyance; he was furious that his arch-enemy, the Monkey King, had gotten away. Again.

He whirled around, smashing his fist into an expensive vase. Shards of the broken vase embedded themselves within the torn flesh of his hand, blood oozing free from the tiny wounds. He could care less as he ripped the shards of clay from his hand, the wounds healing themselves as soon as the foreign objects were free from the skin.

"Blast that heathen. I will kill him if it is the last thing that I do." he hissed, turning so that he could stalk down the hallway again. He smirked, thinking of a way that he could anger the Monkey King so that he, the Warlord, would have a chance to win. All he had to do was endanger the spoiled little Princess Ariya and the Monkey King would come running.

"And then he'll be out of my hair for good." he cackled, cruelly tightening his fist around the hilt of his sword. He turned, throwing the doors to his quarters open, and sitting down in front of his planning table. He wasn't called the Warlord for nothing, you know.

The Warlord cast aside everything that was sitting upon the table in favor for a new piece of parchment and a full bottle of ink. With this he began planning, imagining the torture he could put the pretty Princess through in order to break that pathetic excuse for an immortal. His lip curled into a sneer at the thought of having his way with her. His hands roaming over her pearly white skin made him hard at the thought.

"She will be mine one way or another." he vowed to himself as he scribbled furiously on the piece of parchment.

BACK WITH ARIYA AND CAELEY

Hours passed as the two conversed and played in the river like children, taking off their over dresses in favor for their shifts. They splashed each other with the water and Ariya had even thrown a fish or two towards the squealing girl. She tried to dodge the fish but her hair was plastered across her face making her unable to see.

Ariya almost fell into the rushing water of the river from her laughter, pointing slightly at the look on her young friend's face. Caeley's look of shock would have anyone laughing but it was the small fish stuck on her forehead that took the cake. With one stride the silver haired Princess was at the younger girl's side, helping her with her fishy problem. When they were done they decided that they were exhausted and needed to dry off.

When both of them reached the shore they laid back in the noon sun, happily basking in the cheery warmth. Suddenly, Caeley's voice broke the silence.

"Lady Ariya? Can you sing for me?" she implored, eyes begging the beautiful Princess to lend her voice. Ariya looked taken aback; nobody except for WuKong had ever asked her to sing before.

"Alright…I suppose. But do warn me if I burn your ears, alright?" she said, straightening up and clearing her throat.

"_She was the one who taught me, the one who taught me how to see. She taught me how to wish on a wishing star, now she's gone of to someplace far…_" she started, a single tear falling down her face. The silver haired Princess quickly wiped away the tear, not wanting her young friend to become worried.

"_And no matter how hard I try to reach, I always fall back with a surprised screech. As a tear drips down my face, I remember she isn't hard to trace. All I have to do is see: visiting her grave sets my feelings free."_ she continued, nodding her head slightly to the invisible beat. The wind blew by, helping their hair to dry as a tear dripped down Caeley's face as well.

"_I bury my face in my hands as the rain beats down, my shoulders tremble when I make such sound. Suddenly the rain stops and the clouds part, I jerk my head to the sky with a start. The sun shines down and I clearly see: my grandmother is watchin' over me."_Ariya continued to sing, pouring all her emotions into the song. Her grandmother was the only one besides her mother who would pay her any attention; she usually ran to her house to escape the wrath of her adoptive father when he was drunk. When Ariya's grandmother died it was devastating. She no longer had a safe haven, only disappearing to the dojo to learn her martial arts.

"_At once my mood starts to shift, my daily thoughts - to her they drift. When I'm down everything's a blur, I can't miss anyone else this much; that I'm sure. She was such a saint, with her hair so faint. Her smile could light a darkened room, but now she lives happily with her groom. Not even in death could they be separated, my attitude I happily berated."_she continued to sing, the wind picking up fiercely. It blew flower petals across her face, causing her to look like an earth spirit.

"_I bury my face in my hands as the rain beats down, my shoulders tremble when I make such sound. Suddenly the rain stops and the clouds part, I jerk my head to face the sky with a start. The sun shines down and my eyes clearly see:_

_my grandmother is watchin' over me._" she finally softened her voice, coming to the end of the song. Now both of the girls were crying freely, tears streaming down their faces.

"_The sun shines down and my eyes clearly see: my grandmother is watchin' over me._" the silver haired Princess finished, the soft silence ringing across the clearing once again. They stayed silent for the rest of the afternoon, completely content with being with one another. Nothing had to be vocalized for the subtle actions spoke louder than words. This, indeed, was a beautiful friendship.


	14. Fun In The River

**Authoress Note: I'm so sorry guys! I've been so busy with school and I've had project upon project to do. I'm also revising _Wings Of A Phoenix_ so that's been taking up a bit of my time as well.**

**Thanks to:**

**Wolviegurl - You know what? Caeley is actually based off of one of the reviewers for The Man Behind The Legend. She was one of the first so that kind of inspired me since I didn't actually think anybody liked this particular story at the time. Anyway, thanks for your reviews!**

**Darcy2005 - Oh really? What are the names of the other fics? I might be interested in reading them. Thanks for your review!**

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Chapter 13

Fun in the River

Several hours later the Monkey King awoke, finding the house that he shared with the beautiful Princess Ariya deserted. He was bleary eyed and his mind was clouded as he rolled over, panic starting to seep into his senses. WuKong grabbed his Nyoi-bo, mounting it upon his back as he shouted out for his beloved, panic now seizing at his heart as well.

"Moonbeam! Where are you?" he yelled into the empty hallways, his voice echoing off the gleaming wood. It bounced back towards him as he entered the kitchen, expecting to see a note of some sort waiting for him on the small table. His molten orbs widened as he realized that no note was present, fear now running cold through his veins. What if the Warlord had taken her while she was outside?! He cursed to himself as he slammed the door open, not bothering to close it behind him as he dashed towards the river.

The river was one of the few places that WuKong felt was safe for the Princess to be by her lonesome. The foliage would hide her from the sight of others when she bathed and she now knew how to sense the Monkey King's chi energy. She always knew when the warrior was near so she would have been calmed as well.

The brown of tree branches and jade of leaves flashed through his vision as he sprinted through the small bamboo forest, senses failing to alert him to the pain as branches seared his flesh. WuKong shook his head, wincing when a branch slapped the sensitive part of his neck. He paused, however, when he heard the telltale signs of women giggling. He slowed to a stop, peering over one of the branches as not to frighten them.

The perfect scene was set before him: Ariya was resting on her back, silver hair fanned out behind her. Her head was set in another girl's lap as the younger girl ran her fingers through her tresses. The sight made him sigh in relieve as all of his worse fears were put to rest.

_Caeley_ was his first thought as he remembered the young servant who had led him to the Jade Emperor's throne. He was indebted to her for helping him beg for his freedom. Without that freedom and ability to leave the mountain he would never have been able to recue his beloved princess.

Her dress was astounding, showing every luscious curve from her body. _She's beautiful._ He thought again as a small bit of color dusted across his tanned hide. He could tell that she was sleeping from the subtle rise and fall of her chest; the thought made him grin as he silently stepped forward from the brush.

Caeley opened her mouth in excitement at seeing the Monkey King in person once again but was shushed at the mischievous look in his eye. He carefully leaned forward, slipping his hands behind the sleeping girl's shoulders and knees, and easily lifting her slim frame into his arms. The servant girl laughed quietly as the sleeping Princess mumbled something about 'oranges falling through the sun'. WuKong snorted as quietly as he could without waking her as he stepped towards the shore of the smoothly flowing river.

Suddenly he threw the sleeping girl into the flowing waters of the river beside them, smirking in satisfaction as he heard the girl's shriek. Her head shot up from the shallow water as she coughed harshly to get the water out of her lungs. Her now wet hair hung limply in her face; the wet strands were sticking to her flesh as she tried to shake them from her vision.

"SNOWFLAKE!!" she shouted, turning on her heel under the water. Ariya's face portrayed her anger, fear, and panic as when she actually realized that she was standing in a river - no matter how slow moving the water seemed to be. The silver haired princess forced herself to calm down since she could feel the sandy bottom with her feet, however, she couldn't stop the bad feeling welling to life in the pit of her stomach.

WuKong's laughter brought the Princess back to reality as she looked towards the bank of the wide river. She sighed, preparing to wade back to the bank, but one of the rocks she stepped on caused her to slip, sending the surprised Princess underneath the river's water.

"Oh no! Lady Ariya can't swim well! She'll drown!" Caeley gasped, tugging on the sleeve of the Monkey King's brown tunic. WuKong blanched, eyes widening and heart quaking with panic as he tore off his Nyoi-bo and threw it to where Hitokiri rested. It would only hinder him in the thick water, weighing him down when he needed to be light and agile. The Monkey King sprinted towards the sparkling river, diving in once the water reached his waist. He swam downwards as fast as he could, ignoring the burning sensation that engulfed his arms and legs.

The proud warrior tried to resist crying out in dismay when he saw the object of his affections struggling against the underwater current. She saw him swimming towards her so she changed her direction, reaching her hand out to him. His fear flared as her eyes started to slowly close - she was running out of oxygen. WuKong gave one last burst of speed, encircling his arms around Ariya's waist.

He touched down on the earthy bottom of the river, using it to propel himself to the surface. Fortunately he and Ariya had barely moved from their previous position; the silver haired Princess was clinging to his shoulders as she took deep gulps of air, wrapping her thinner arms around his neck to keep herself above the water's surface.

"Hang onto me!" WuKong exclaimed, starting to swim back to the bank; Caeley was wringing her hands in nervousness and worry. When they got back to the most shallow of he rushing water the Princess released her hold upon the white haired warrior, dropping weakly to her knees with a splash.

Caeley and the Monkey King were both instantly at her side, checking her condition. WuKong bowed his head and apologized profusely, mentally berating himself for his foolishness. Sometime during the mushy moment Caeley departed, seeing how high the sun had actually risen.

During the commotion Ariya had started laughing, effectively silencing the Monkey King's apologies. She leaned forward and kissed the surprised warrior on the lips, running her tongue across his bottom lip. He wasted no time in kissing her back, wrapping his arms almost desperately around her waist, almost like he needed to be reassured that she was still there. When he hit one of her ticklish spots, however, she had no choice but to break away with a giggle. He sighed, leaning his forehead against her own.

"I really am so sorry. You don't know how much it pains me to see you hurt - and by my hands no less." he said, releasing his hold on her and burying his face in his hands.

Ariya frowned, never liking it whenever the proud warrior blamed himself for her misfortunes. The silver haired Princess thought for a moment before a sly grin took hold of her face. She crept up behind her companion before tackling him into the water. The Monkey King spluttered in surprise once again, glancing wide eyed at the beautiful Princess. She, in turn, laughed at his expression, eventually drawing laughter from her companion.

The seasoned warrior grinned, his old attitude keenly showing through the serious, crafty mask he was donning earlier. The happy Bo master pounced on Ariya, turning her over and tickling her sides. The silver haired Princess shrieked out her laughter; she kicked her legs and flailed her arms but to no avail. Eventually they both collapsed, giggling at the look on each other's faces.

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't know. I never told you anything about that." Ariya whispered, kissing him on the jaw. She nuzzled her face in the soft white hair sprouting from his own, smiling when WuKong sighed in contentment.

"I know…but I vowed to protect you. Instead I only bring you harm." he mumbled escorting her from the water and lying down on the sunny shore. He brought Ariya down with him as he looped his arms around her waist once again. It seems that this was his favorite relaxation position.

The Princess leaned up, passionately kissing him on the lips as she trailed her hands down his chest. The warrior's hands tightened on her waist as he trailed his tongue on her lip, expertly sliding it within her mouth when she granted access. Their tongues battled it out, neither letting their ferocity diminish as their hands fumbled with each other's clothes.

The Monkey King shivered both from pleasure and anticipation; he fumbled with her dress's intricately tied sash, hastily pulling it away from her body as she unlaced his own leather one. She pushed his top down his shoulders, running her hands up and down his muscled chest; he growled in pleasure as her nails lightly raked his skin, sending shivers down his spine.

They would have continued kissing but the fact that they both needed air drove them apart. He parted the dress, sliding it down Ariya's shoulders, and let out a small noise of disappointment when he found that she was wearing a form fitting slip. She laughed at his expression before leaning down, allowing him to firmly grip her behind as she licked and nipped at a spot on his neck.

He drew her up to his lips again seconds later, slipping his tongue easily inside her mouth once more. Their battle of dominance never ending as his left hand wandered from her behind to cup one of her shapely breasts through the fabric of her slip. She sighed into his mouth but ripped herself from him as a large clap of thunder startled her; she tore herself completely from his embrace as she quivered in fear. The warrior jumped up as well, repositioning his tunic top and tying the leather belt around his waist once again. He caught his Princess tying her own sash; she jumped slightly when another clash of thunder crashed across the clearing.

After securing both weapons on his back he scooped the trembling Princess into his arms, cradling her shaking form as she cuddled into his broad chest. Soon, drops of chilling rain fell from the heavens and wind started to howl across their wake. They both flinched from the icy water stinging their flesh as the Monkey King dashed back towards their home. Once they were within the door WuKong hastily nudged it shut with his shoulder, gently setting his burden down in front of the fireplace. In seconds he had a roaring fire spitting sparks; Ariya was extremely grateful but was also downright embarrassed by her earlier actions.

"I'm sorry I jumped away…storms kind of bring back some bad memories." the now bashful Princess mumbled into her arms; she had buried her face into her arms to avoid looking at the Monkey King's face. She flinched somewhat when she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders, bringing her to a well muscled chest - though it was covered by his brown tunic.

"Shh…" he cooed as another crash of thunder shook their little hut. She squeaked, burying face into the soft material covering the proud warrior's chest. The two stayed curled up together until the deadly storm passed, allowing the silver haired Princess time to relax.

"I wasn't always afraid of storms…you know?" she whispered into his chest as a pair of sparkling tears trailed down her cheeks. The Monkey King said nothing, allowing the girl to tell her story.

"I actually loved to play outside in thunderstorms. The rain felt so good during the summer season and was somewhat cooling in the fall and spring. But…one stormy night…it was the first time my adoptive father ever laid a hand on me." she whispered with a small whimper; WuKong growled softly as he tightened his grip upon her waist.

"Now…I can't help but to be afraid of them." she whispered again, trailing off with uncertainty. She couldn't help but believe that the majestic man behind her would think that she was a coward. She felt the Monkey King pull back, looking up when he cupped her face in his hands the subjective girl flinched slightly once again at the look in the warrior's eyes, but smiled softly as he placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Don't worry. I'll always be here to protect you." he murmured in her ear as her eyelids began to droop. She yawned, tired by the days events as WuKong gently picked her up and brought her to her room. He placed another soft kiss upon her brow as she drifted into a sweet slumber, reassured by the words he spoke not a moment before.


	15. The Treasure Hunt and Shared Bliss

**Authoress Note: Alright, I'm sorry! I had so much work to do for school. I apologize profusely!!! Anyway the lemon you requested is in this chapter!!!**

**Thanks to:**

**wolviegurl - Thanks! It's always awesome to read reviews from you guys.**

**emo child of the underworld - Interesting name. Thanks for being my beta but I needed to get this chapter posted before you e-mailed me back. Sorry!! Next time I'll wait for your response/corrections to the chapter before I post the next chapter.**

**Thanks guys!**

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Chapter 14

The Treasure Hunt

Some time had passed between the almost bedding between Ariya and WuKong and now it was the morning of the silver haired Princess' birthday. Almost a full year has passed since the royal one's appearance and neither Ariya nor the Monkey King could be happier.

Morning light trickled through the window of the Monkey King's hut, waking the sleeping Princess from her dreams. She blinked wearily as she listened for the light springy footsteps of the warrior she had fallen in love with. Finding none she rose, tying a soft green robe around her nightclothes. It wouldn't do for WuKong to see her so scantily clad, would it? She yawned, tired from the previous day's workout. The Monkey King and the silver haired Princess started working on her routines in order to get her muscles back into shape.

She entered the kitchen to find breakfast waiting for her; steam rose from the hearty meal, showing that it had recently been cooked. The Monkey King was not present but the silver haired Princess could somehow sense the presence of her love. Maybe it was the link between the Nyoi-bo and her Hitokiri? Ariya sighed, slightly depressed due to her feelings for the white haired warrior. She wanted so badly to tell him but she felt that it would ruin their relationship.

She went back to her room and dressed in her normal attire, finally noticing a somewhat neatly written note on her bedside table.

"_**Moonbeam, are you ready for the hunt of your life? If you go to all the places the notes contain you will find your birthday surprises.**_" Ariya read aloud,, blushing slightly. Since when did the Monkey King know when Ariya's brithday was? She was sure that she had never told him.

She was knocked out of her thoughts when a small rock came flying in through the open window; a note was strategically attacked to the rock. The silver haired Princess giggled, then sighed, reaching for the note that WuKong obviously sent.

"_**Go to the hot springs.**_" the blushing Princess murmured to herself, shouldering Hitokiri and exiting their home. As she walked she could faintly hear the Monkey King jumping behind her. She could see the warrior out of the corner of her eye as she smiled to herself, a warm feeling flaring up in her heart.

Ariya finally made it to the hot springs, the steam from the boiling water immediately dampening her clothes and hair. She scanned the surrounding area, barely suppressing her own giggles as she reached for the note.

"_**Now go back to the kitchen.**_" the Princess couldn't smother her laughter this time as she turned around, trekking back to the house. The Monkey King's giggles set of a set of her own a couple of times, making Ariya pause in her journey to their dwelling.

"_**Go to the river. You know which one."**_ the silver haired Princess laughed to herself in exasperation. She was starting to get tired from not taking the time to have breaks but she was determined to win her prize. She yawned, stumbling through the door as she tripped over…something. The normally graceful warrior Princess fell flat on her face, a blush creeping up her neck as she jumped back to her feet. A loud laughter caused her to blush to spread across her face as she sprinted to the river bank.

Minutes later she was getting slightly annoyed as she pied the note hanging from a tree branch amidst the shrubs on the river's ban. She sighed, spying a low hanging branch that she could easily swing onto. She did so, reaching out as far as she could for the note. Sweat trickled down her face from the exertion, causing her to wince when a bead dripped into her eye. Her fingers slipped as she gasped out in her surprise; she fell right as her fingers grasped the note firmly in her hand.

"Oof!" Ariya gasped as she fell from the branch; she landed on her stomach as the air was forcefully expelled from her lungs.

"This better be the last one…" she coughed, pounding on her chest to stimulate the oxygen flow. She opened the note noticing how this one was slightly different from the others.

"_**Congratulations, Moonbeam. Go twenty paces north to the clearing to claim your prize.**_" she read aloud with obvious relief. Ariya noticed that the warrior was no longer following her; he was most likely going ahead to set up her surprise. The Princess' heart quickened as she neared the indicated clearing. She paused for a moment before entering the clearing, taking a deep breath before pushing some reeds of bamboo to the side.

There was nothing extraordinary about the clearing except for a small bundle sitting in the middle. The bundle was wrapped in an intricate cloth, taking Ariya's breath away. She pulled on the string, causing the cloth to blossom outward to reveal…a bouquet of white lilies and another note.

"_**I tricked you, didn't I? I apologize for the wait but go back to your room. There your prizes await.**_" Ariya sighed loudly, picking up the cloth and wrapping it around the flowers. She was becoming incredibly impatient and curious, wanting to know what WuKong wanted to give her. Anything would be special for her but for some reason the Monkey King wanted to make the silver haired Princess happy on her birthday.

Ariya made it back to their hut in record time, pushing the door open as quietly as she could. She set the flowers down next to the Monkey King's Nyoi-bo, feet padding almost silently to her room.

Sitting n her bed was an overcoat; something extremely shiny sat upon the soft material of the overcoat. Ariya was breathless, first moving the questionable object aside to get a better look at the overcoat. It was made of a very fine cotton, light and flexible it was as black as charcoal with bamboo shoots of a light green color carefully stitched on the back. Leaves of jade danced around the color and sleeves and a single button would hold the overcoat together.

Ariya gently folded the overcoat and set it upon a table to the side. She turned back to the sparkling object and she gasped when she realized it was an intricate protective circlet.

"Oh my god." she breathed, admiring the smooth metal. If she put it on it would hold her bangs away from her face and rest on the center of her forehead. The center held a small heart shaped stone, the black material indicating that it was onyx. On either side of the circlet, near the temples, there were pieces of jade carved in the shape of bamboo leaves. They would jingle every time she moved her head.

"Do you like them?" the voice of WuKong whispered into the silver haired Princess' ear. She turned, the breath on her neck sending shivers down her spine and setting her skin on fire.

"They're beautiful…but I don't deserve them." she whispered again; this time she was pulled flush against his form. His eyes burned with passion and an untold emotion.

"You deserve them. Who told you otherwise?" he whispered back, bringing his face down to her level

"My father. He taught me that I would never deserve something so beautiful. The Hitokiri is enough for me." she barely whispered, looking downward. A calloused yet gentle finger slid under her chin, bringing her face up to look at his.

"You do deserve them." he whispered again, placing his other hand on her cheek.

"Why?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes. She didn't know why she was so emotional…just so many things had been happening in the past year.

"Because I love you." he said, crashing his lips upon hers

**(Just a little note for everyone who reads this story. This is where a lemon comes into play…just don't expect it to be good as 1) this is the first time I've written a lemon and 2) the only experience I have with sex is what I learned in my Honors Anatomy class. Just a little warning!)**

She was shocked but immediately began kissing back, opening her lips to allow his tongue entrance. They battled for dominance as he pushed her back against the bed, both of them falling upon the mattress. Sometime in their kissing frenzy he had removed the Hitokiri from her back so she wouldn't be uncomfortable.

He pulled off his leather belt, letting her slip his kimono top off as his leather wrist guards fell to the floor. She removed her own sash; her dress was hastily pulled off by his sensual hands, frantic with need as the two pulled away for air.

"I love you, too." she said, trailing kisses along his jaw line. Somehow both of their bound tresses came undone, letting their pale strands flow free. Ariya crawled further back on the bed, trailing her hands down WuKong's chiseled chest as he groaned in pleasurable ecstasy. He crawled forward, attaching his lips to her neck as his manhood throbbed painfully in its now tight confinement.

"Snow…flake…" the Princess panted as WuKong's deft hands literally ore off her chest bindings. A grin adorned his face as she blushed, never having been this far with a man before. Suddenly, with a burst of confidence, she rolled the two over. The Monkey King kicked off his boots as Ariya straddled him, perky breasts catching his attention. He leaned forward as she rid him of his pants, fondling one breast with his hand while attaching his lips to the other. Her core throbbed as well, aching to feel the length of the man underneath her inside its wet cavern.

The proud warrior mentally sighed as his throbbing erect manhood was free from its material cage, pre cum already forming at its tip in anticipation. Ariya helped him rid her of her pants and shoes so that they were both displayed in their nude glory.

"You're beautiful." he sighed, tenderness radiating from his eyes as he scanned her exposed body. His fingers glided over every scar, making the Princess shudder with need. She leaned forward, trailing kisses down his chest and stomach as she lightly raked her nails over his skin; she eventually came to his erect manhood and grasped it softly, licking the pre cum from the tip. Her lips curved into a smile when she heard the sharp intake of breath, happy that she was giving her pleasure.

Suddenly, Ariya felt herself being flipped onto her back. Blinking, she gasped when she felt a finger trace her hot core. She moaned, tangling her fingers in the Monkey King's wild mane of unruly hair as he pushed his finger inside of her. He pumped his finger slightly deeper each time, eventually adding a second finger. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers in a sensual kiss. A clenching feeling boiled in her lower stomach, growing each time WuKong's finger pumped in her core. Just when she thought she was going to go over the edge the Monkey King's finger stopped; he looked her in the eyes with a startling sense of seriousness.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he breathed, removing his fingers and positioning himself over her dripping wet entrance.

"Of course I'm sure. I love you and want to share this with you." she breathed back, albeit a bit shaky from the previous sensation. She spread her legs for him, showing him with her actions how much she wanted this.

He nodded, smiling softly at her with a slightly regretful expression as he thrust his length into her womanhood, pressing his lips to hers in order to muffle her cry of pain. He immediately froze, letting her get used to the feeling of his length before she gave the ok for him to move. He lifted his lips from hers as he started to pump, rocking back and forth as she moaned in pleasure. Soon enough she wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him deeper within her with each thrust.

He groaned in ecstasy, speeding up his tempo as Ariya cried out from the immense feeling. The bubbling sensation was back in the pit of her stomach, increasing with each thrust. Soon it was at the point were she thought her stomach was going to burst with the immense feeling; she threw her head back as WuKong thrust as hard as he could when the bubble popped and she screamed his name. The sweating warrior gave a few more thrusts as he reached his climax, spilling his seed into her as he moaned her name as well. They rode out their climaxes together, both feeling the intimacy of their love as WuKong fell to the side.

"I love you so much." he whispered into her hair as he pulled her close to his body. She cuddled up to him, nuzzling her face into his chest despite the sweat still trailing down his skin.

"I love you, too, Snowflake." she mumbled back as she drifted to sleep. He sighed happily, nuzzling his face into her hair as he pulled the covers over them as he drifted to sleep as well.


	16. The Warlord's Attack

**Authoress Note: A VERY BIG SHOUTOUT GOES TO MY BETA emo child of the underworld! THANK YOU!!!! Ok, please vote on my poll - its for my new fanfiction (which only has a prologue and chapter 1) but If I don't know the pairing I can't really write a story... Anyway, read on!**

**Thanks to: **

**wolviegurl: Thanks!! I know, its cute now, ne?**

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Chapter 15

The Warlord's Attack

"Why haven't you found her yet?! Her body belongs to me!" an angry voice shouted through the halls of the Warlord's private wing. All were afraid of the raven haired man's temper, choosing to patrol the farthest reaches of the palace than to face him.

"My Lord, we've found the charred remains of their former home. She-" the soldier was unfortunately cut off by a blow to the face. The younger man cowered next to his sentry partner as the prone form of the Warlord shook in rage.

"I want sentries stationed there and I-" another unfortunate pair of soldiers nervously crept in and bowed. The Warlord snarled in irritation, glaring at the pair of sentries.

"Well?" he snapped, striding from the two he was currently talking to.

"S-sir. We've spotted the Princess' new hideaway." The guard on the left stuttered. The Warlord's mood improved slightly as his mouth curved into a cruel smirk.

"Very well. Forge a note from the Monkey King and lure her from her 'beloved'." He declared, dismissing the ones who kneeled before him. He turned and headed for his private baths, intent on relieving the pent up tension.

WITH ARIYA AND THE MONKEY KING

The dawn was just breaking over the horizon as WuKong's eyes snapped open, instantly aware of the lower warriors and scum surrounding the border of his land. Usually he would be excited at the chance to kick some warrior butt, but they were too close to his beloved for comfort.

His eyes narrowed, concentrating on the chi auras of his enemies. Yes, they were extremely close. He rose from the bed, heart melting as he spied his lover snuggle closer to the spot he had once occupied. She buried herself in the warmth, sighing softly and mumbling to herself.

The Monkey King had to tear himself away from the scene lest he loose his nerve and join the sleeping Princess once again. He dressed, quickly writing a note and leaving it on Ariya's nightstand. He grabbed the Nyoi-bo and departed from the house in order to take care of the threats that surrounded their land.

He didn't recognize the unfamiliar chi signature hiding out right beside the hut. In order to slip past the daunting warrior the Warlord's minion had to hide his energy – an extremely hard task.

When he was sure that the Monkey King was gone, and not coming back, he slipped into the dwelling. He silently darted through the house, padding quietly into the still sleeping Princess' room. She was sleeping soundly on the slightly bloody sheets; the minion chuckled to himself at this new bit of information. He spied the little love not the Monkey King placed on the nightstand. The minion smirked as he crumpled it up, throwing it behind him, and giving her the fake not in its place.

"Have fun." The minion spat at the sleeping form of the Princess, leaving since his job was complete. Several hours later she awoke, stretching and wincing as she stretched her lower abdomen. She was still somewhat sore from last night's activities. Ariya blushed, still glowing in the after affects of their lovemaking.

She looked to the side when she realized the slumbering form of her WuKong was not present; a note sat in his place at the bedside table.

"_Meet me at the remains of our old home, my slumbering goddess._" She read aloud, blushing profusely once again. She sighed, realizing that she was required to get up. A trip to the hot springs would be in order to successfully relieve the dull pain in her pelvic region.

Ariya managed to drag herself from the warm comforts of the bed. She winced when she saw the amount of blood that was left on her sheets. She would wash them later because right now she was on a mission.

Minutes later she was standing in the hot bubbling form of the hot springs. She sank down so that only her head and neck was showing, giving her ample time to soak away the ache in the pit of her stomach. She was relaxed, happy, and completely content for the first time in her life…but there was one little thing that always buzzed in the back of her mind.

"The Warlord." She whispered to herself as she leaned her had back upon one of the soft blankets she bought. When she thought she was sufficiently clean she rose, dressing in her normal attire and her new gifts. With soft and gentle hands she slipped on her new overcoat, deftly buttoning the lone button on the front. She then slipped the protective circlet on her forehead, clasping it as her bangs fell away from her eyes. Hitokiri was mounted upon her back as she left the clearing, heading towards the charred remains of her former home.

MONKEY KING

The Monkey King panted lightly, not expecting the sheer number of forces the Warlord sent to capture his beloved. His journey back to the house was uneventful but a feeling of extreme caution was welling in the pit of his stomach. He slowly opened the door, caution almost rolling off his stiff form in waves.

He entered the hut, gripping his Nyoi-bo tightly in his grasp. Nobody was present but caution still possessed his frame as he crept slowly towards her room. Everything was normal but this feeling made the hairs rise on the back of the Monkey King's neck.

He scanned the bedroom, heart warming when he saw the bloodstained sheets that reminded him of their activities last night. A slight noise caught his attention as the note he wrote flew into his face. Wait a minute…that wasn't his note! His eyes flew across the surface of the paper as his heart hammered within his chest.

"No!" he exclaimed, throwing the note to the ground and racing outside. Ariya had been gone for a while and he could only pray that he could get to her in time. He prayed hard, directing his thoughts and channeling his emotions through his Nyoi-bo to the Hitokiri. Perhaps he could convince her to stop before she got to the house.

_**Ariya. Ariya, please listen to me, my beloved. You've been tricked!**_ He prayed long and hard and just when he was about to give up he heard her response.

WITH ARIYA

The silver haired Princess stopped in front of the charred remains of their previous dwelling. Her heart constricted painfully as the fire's memory clouded her mind. She closed her eyes, breathing in the clearing's special scent.

Suddenly, she heard WuKong's voice within her mind telling her that the note was fake. She started trembling, hand inching towards the Hitokiri positioned on her back.

"Now, my dear. You wouldn't want to hurt yourself." an evil voice cackled as she jerked towards the noise.

_**WuKong! The Warlord - he's here. Help! **_she exclaimed, sliding into a defensive position. She concentrated on feeling her lover's emotions, cringing at the amount of concern and panic he was displaying.

_**I'm coming! Remember your training!**_ the Monkey King explained as she dodged a blow from one of the Warlord's minions. She couldn't reply as she slid Hitokiri underneath the minion's weapon, jerking it from his hands. That same defensive maneuver was used several times until one warrior managed to kick her in the lower stomach. She gasped as her legs gave out, falling to the ground as her Hitokiri w as ripped from her hands.

"My dear, you will be mine. I can get you much nicer things than this…trinket." the hateful man said, running a finger through the dangling jade leaves on her circlet. He straightened as two of his minions grabbed her arms. They pulled her face up, pulling her head back by her hair so she had no choice but to look at him. Ariya glared at the Warlord, smirking as she spat in his face.

"How dare you! You're lucky I have use for you or else you'd be dead." he sneered, grasping her chin roughly with two of his fingers. She managed to bite one of them before she was backhanded across the face. Twice more she was slapped, blood dribbling down her chin from where she bit her lip, before he pulled her lips roughly against his. The silver haired Princess squirmed, trying to wiggle out of his minion's grasp.

She closed her eyes, dropping her head as she tried to come up with a plan. She heard the rustle of leaves as she pulled her face back up, smirking lightly.

"I'd rather die than be used by scum such as you." the silver haired Princess snarled, ripping her arm free from one of the warriors. In his surprise she grabbed a small hidden dagger from her hair, aiming it towards the Warlord. She thrust it towards the man but was pulled back at the last moment; the dagger was snatched from her hand and was used to stab her maliciously in the shoulder as a consequence.

She screamed in pain but it was soon drowned out by a deathly shout - no - several separate shouts of pain. Soon, the Monkey King had taken out all of the minions except the two who were still gripping Ariya's arms. The one holding her still bloody dagger whimpered in fear, dropping the weapon and running away with his quaking partner.

WuKong turned towards the angered Warlord, eyes practically glowing with his chi energy. He moved so quickly that Ariya had trouble following his movements; he left behind an afterimage whenever he moved.

"Snow…flake…" she panted, gripping her wounded shoulder. Wait…where was her overcoat? Oh, yes - it had come off when she was fighting.

At the sound of Ariya's weak voice he went berserk, rushing at the Warlord and quickly grinding his fist into the dark haired man's face. He didn't give the Warlord enough time to recover as he grabbed his black tresses, flinging him against a tree.

"You'll pay for what you've done." WuKong growled, grabbing the struggling man's throat. It wouldn't be enough to kill him - only jade can kill an immortal - but he wouldn't be in commission for a couple of months.

The Monkey King squeezed harder, leaving hand shaped bruise around the Warlord's throat.

"Snowflake! Don't! Just…let him go." Ariya pleaded, stumbling to her feet. The white haired warrior turned, stunned at what his beloved just said. His molten eyes softened, dimming slightly as her soft voice pleaded with him. It only showed how innocent she really was. He turned back to the struggling and gasping man in front of him, glaring eyes brightening again.

"You better run." WuKong whispered, deadly serious. He pulled away, lightly scraping his arm against the blade that the Warlord had produced. He growled, producing his Nyoi-bo as the Warlord pounced; he was pushed back by the Hitokiri as Ariya stepped forward, glaring at the perverted and sadistic man.

"You are unwanted. Leave now." the silver haired Princess ordered; her arm shook with the effort of keeping the weapon level with the Warlord's face. The object of their attention glowered, slinking back in defeat. The Monkey King managed to surpass him once again; there was no way he could win while anger and hatred burned in the white haired warrior's eyes.

"You win this round but you can't keep your prize forever." the evil sneered. He bowed his head and retreated, leaving the couple to themselves.

As soon as the Warlord was out of sight Ariya let her Hitokiri fall, arm collapsing soon after. The look in WuKong's eyes were murderous, but they were not directed at her. Instead, his steely gaze was directed at the wound in her shoulder; it was still freely oozing blood. The crimson life jewels that poured from her shoulder worried him. He should have been there for her.

"I'm sorry." her angelic voice cut through his thoughts, making his eyes snap from her wound to her face.

"I'm always getting myself into trouble. I'm sorry." Ariya apologized again, biting her lip as she focused her gaze upon the ground. WuKong's eyes began to water - a first in his long existence - as he scooped her into his arms.

"Don't apologize." he cooed into her ear as a lone tear streaked down the warrior's proud face.

"Lets just go home." she whispered burying her face into his chest. He nodded, picking up her weapon and overcoat; he slung the bo staff around her as he picked up the princess. Nobody would bother them at the moment - he was sure of it. Neither of the two were aware of the troubles that were to come.


	17. Attempted Suicide

**Authoress Note: Oh my god, guys! I'm so sorry for not updating in forever!! I had a major case of writers block and I'm graduating high school soon so I had to bring my grades up.**

**Thanks to: **

**wolviegurl - I know, right? They make a cute couple (Even if they can be a little emo at times...XD)**

**emo child of the underworld - Thank you so much for beta-ing my story! *hug***

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Chapter 16

Attempted Suicide

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That night the silver haired Princess tossed and turned in her bed; night terrors and dark depressing thoughts were running through her head. She was scared but she wanted to be alone to put her plan into action. She didn't know exactly what her plan was…but she had to do something soon.

Ariya was troubled and couldn't help but feel like it was her fault that the Monkey King kept getting injured. The warrior tried to hide it but failed she saw it…and it only made it more depressing. She knew that he was immortal but even immortals can be killed somehow - her father had explained this to her when she was back at the Jade Palace.

Sometimes Ariya's mind would drift and she would think about how things would be if she had never come to the past. They would certainly be better and there would be no feud for her hand. Her heart broke at the thought…but the Monkey King would had never been targeted by the Jade Warlord. It was all her fault that he was being treated in such a way. He didn't deserve to be treated like that.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she made her final decision, albeit she knew that it was a foolish choice. She would end her own existence to make sure that the white haired warrior would be safe. Though he may be immortal Ariya didn't want to take any chances. She threw back the covers on her bed and fondly ran a hand over the Hitokiri for the last time. She would never use the weapon again.

"It's the only way." the silver haired Princess whispered, set on her decision. Her voice was quaking as if she were trying to convince herself of her decision. Ariya paced her room, trying to decide the best way to end her life. There were so many possibilities and she needed some way to make sure her life ended before WuKong suspected anything. Suddenly, the image of the cliff she sometimes trained at appeared within her mind - it was perfect. It was sentimental…and it ensured her death when she would hit the bottom. She only hoped she could reach the cliff before her Snowflake woke up. He was unpredictable.

Ariya carefully crept towards her open window, leaving a letter for WuKong to read in the morning. If she timed it right - and she did so very carefully - then she would already be at the cliff when WuKong woke from his slumber. Once she was out of the house and down the path she took one last extremely sad look back at the house she had been living in…with her lover…before turning back and dashing towards the training area.

WUKONG

The white haired warrior's eyes snapped open as a feeling of extreme unease spread throughout his body. Something was wrong. Something was seriously wrong…with Ariya. He sat up in a flash, ignoring the little black and white spots that clouded his vision.

WuKong's first panicky thought went to the distraught Princess sleeping in the room next to him. He hadn't wanted to sleep in a separate room but he thought it best to give her some space…after all that happened. She pleaded with him and the seasoned warrior finally gave in; he couldn't say no to her beautiful face. She was his weakness.

The Monkey King let his mind drift, trying to focus on he silver haired Princess' chi energy. After a few moments he finally located it - but the unusual that was that her energy signal was moving away from the house. It kept traveling for a few moments and then stopped, staying completely stationary. It was unusual for her to be anywhere outside of their house at night. She knew of the dangers that roamed this world; she had experienced enough of them first hand!

WuKong jumped from his bed with nothing on except for his training pants; it wasn't like he would need anything else at the moment. The warrior dashed to the only other door in the small hallway, ripping it open and slipping inside. Tears sprung to his eyes but the white haired warrior refused to let them fall. Ariya had left her overcoat and circlet in a neat pile on the bed…and she had even left her Hitokiri untouched in the corner of the room. She, herself, was missing but the window was wide open. She had run away.

Furiously, the Monkey King closed his eyes; his chest was heaving with the effort to keep his tears of frustration at bay. He wasn't furious at her, he could never be furious at her, but he was disappointed at himself. He had vowed to protect his lover from harm and he had failed.

The Monkey King's eyes scanned the room when they reopened, eventually landing on the note she had left for him. The warrior's heart was being ripped from his chest; he did not understand why Ariya couldn't stay. She was probably looking out for him as it was in her kind nature.

WuKong ripped the note from the envelope, carefully fingering the paper of the actual note. He savored the smell of the parchment and smiled softly when he remembered the day he bought it for her. She used it to write down song lyrics and poetry…but she had never gotten around to showing him. He picked up the letter and slowly started reading it, savoring the delicate handwriting.

_My dearest Snowflake…you have probably come to my room only to find me gone. Snowflake, I must apologize but I feel that this is the only way to rectify our problems. By sunrise, I shall be out of your life…out of everyone's lives. I am going to commit suicide, my dear, to keep you safe from the Warlord. I know that you are immortal, my dearest, but my father also told me that there are ways to kill even those who are immortal. The Warlord__**will** __find a way if I am still alive. He is power hungry. If I am dead then he will have no reason to come after you. I am truly sorry that I will break your heart but there are other women out there for you. You will find another love…somewhere. Always remember that I love you, my dearest Snowflake. Love always, your Moonbeam._

By the time WuKong's mind had absorbed the last word written on the note tears were freely running down the experienced warrior's face. It seemed silly to cry but his heart would allow nothing less than the bitter anguish that his being was feeling. His head snapped to face the open window, eyes narrowing as he calculated how much time he had left before…he couldn't even think the horrid words. He rejected the situation completely as she had not considered the fact that her chi energy signature always alerted him when something was wrong.

In the blink of an eye the silver haired Princess' note had been left crumpled on the ground; the distraught Monkey King had grabbed his Nyoi-bo and jumped out of the same window. He was intent on finding his beloved and stopping her…from taking her own life. It was preposterous but he intended for her to stay. He only hoped that he wouldn't be too late.

ARIYA

The silver haired Princess shivered as the extremely early morning wind blew through her thin underclothes. She would have worn the warm overcoat that WuKong gave her but she didn't want to dirty them with her blood when…she took her own life. Ariya knew that it was a stupid decision and that it would probably crush the humble warrior's heart but she was positive that he would quickly find a new lover.

She sat, dangling her legs over the edge of the rock face. Normally she would have been unnerved but the fact that her inevitable death was upon her she didn't care as much. The rustling f the leaves and the subtle chirping of the birds calmed her nerves but her heart was still sinking within her chest. Ariya's mind was set but she wanted to watch her last sunrise.

Suddenly, a familiar song flashed through her head. It was by a German band named Tokio Hotel, one of her favorite foreign bands. The song, ironically enough, was titled 'Don't Jump'. The melody soared through her mind and out her lips as the sun peaked over the horizon.

"Sorry Bill, Tom, Georg, and Gustav. Your song can't save me from death this time around." the silver haired Princess murmured. She stood, spreading her arms wide, and shifted her weight so that she was falling forward. She was falling to her death.

Vaguely, she was aware of a voice screaming from somewhere behind her as a strong hand clamped around her own. Her eyes snapped open as she jerked her head to the sky; her body was still leaning over the rocky cliff as her feet supported her against the rocks.

Ariya refused to look back at her savior's face, wiggling her wrist around in his grip.

"What are you doing!? Let me go!" the silver haired Princess exclaimed, digging her nails into her savior's wrist.

"No! I will **never** release you!" the warm and comforting voice of WuKong reverberated through the morning air above her. It was impossible! He was supposed to be sleeping! Why was he here?

Ariya stopped struggling, lulling the Monkey King into a false sense of security. When his hand loosened she jerked her body; the momentum ripped her hand from the seasoned warrior's grasp.

"No!!" WuKong screamed in dismay - yes, the great Monkey King had screamed. The silver haired Princess smiled sadly as the air caused her body to turn; her back was now facing the sharp and jagged rocks.

Suddenly, the Monkey King leapt off the rock after her; a determined look was planted onto his face. He dove after her, capturing her in one arm and shoving his Nyoi-bo into the rock face with the other. It immediately grew to a longer size, creating a small ledge for the Monkey King to strengthen his hold.

"Let me go!" Ariya struggled; it was useless as the Monkey King refused to make the same mistake twice. Snaking his arm tighter around Ariya's waist he performed a one armed pull up. The silver haired Princess realized that her lover wasn't going to let her go so she stopped struggling.

The Monkey King managed to pull the both of them up, jumping off he Nyoi-bo as an extra support. The bo staff shrank and followed the warrior's mental call, hovering behind the warrior as a guardian of sorts. The saddened warrior glanced down at the shaking form nestled within his arms, placing his cheek on top of her head.

"Why would you think that it was alright to commit suicide? I would die without you by my side. I love you." he said, bringing his face away from Ariya's glistening silver hair. It was then that Ariya saw exactly how much turmoil her little stunt had caused.

"I want you to promise me that you'll never do anything like that again, alright?" the Monkey King pleaded, looking her square in the eye.

"I promise, Snowflake." she whispered back. Suddenly, the old sparkle appeared in the seasoned warrior's molten eyes.

"Moonbeam…when all of this is over I want you as my wife. Will you allow it?" he asked her, picking her up bridal style. Her own eyes widened; she was extremely surprised by the important question that WuKong had so casually asked.

"Of course! I would love to become your wife." she said, reaching up and kissing the Monkey King soundly on the lips the man she was kissing beamed down at her, repositioning her so that she was sitting on one of his knees. He plucked a hair and intertwined his chi-energy within it, happily watching as it morphed into a ring. He slipped it onto her finger as they kissed. Now, at least, the future didn't seem so bleak.


	18. A Joyous Occasion

**Authoress Note: Eeek!! The movers are coming in less than 30 minutes so I'm sorry that I didn't wait for my Beta to fix my mistakes if there were any. I'm sorry!! Anyway, thanks to:**

**Wolviegurl - Thanks! I know, this story has been kind of taking a backseat to my other ones but now that I don't have any school until August I'll be trying to update more.**

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Chapter 17

A Joyous Occasion

The next morning the Celestial Princess awoke in her lover's sweet embrace, a small smile plastered across her face. She was still exhausted from their entire afternoon of passion filled lovemaking but she knew that it was time to rise. The silver haired Princess was filled with pride as she admired the ring that WuKong had given her the previous day; the way the morning light twinkled on the soft gold of the ring made her heart swell.

Suddenly, the arm that was wrapped around her bare waist tightened as the Monkey King trailed kisses along her neck. Ariya giggled in delight, turning over and snaring her betrothed with a kiss. He overwhelmed her with his skilled tongue, dominating the kiss with his skill and power. Finally, the pair broke apart and WuKong released his hold on his beloved, allowing her to sit up.

We should go to the palace to tell mother and father of our engagement. They'll be so happy for us!" the lady whispered to the male figure still lying in the bed. He nodded, a blissful look plastered across his face as he watched his beloved dress, including the silken overcoat and intricately designed protective circlet.

"Moonbeam…what if your parents don't approve of our marriage?" the white haired warrior asked, getting up to dress himself as well.

"Snowflake, my mother already adores you. Now all we have to do is break it to my father. Don't worry so much. He hasn't imprisoned you yet, has he?" the silver haired Princess laughed, kissing the warrior's cheek. They grabbed the Hitokiri and the Nyoi-bo as they exited the house, determined to convince the Jade Emperor that their marriage was a good idea.

Several hours later the couple found themselves in front of the Jade Palace's intricately designed gates. The Monkey King was nervous but he wouldn't let nervousness stand in the way of their happiness. The gates opened, revealing several servants rushing forward to greet their Princess. Ariya's small smile widened when she spotted the familiar brown head of hair that belonged to Caeley.

"Princess Ariya! Welcome home!" the brown haired servant exclaimed as she ran forward; he skirts were gathered in one hand to prevent her from tripping. Every person was unaware of the dark presence watching them from the shadows. He snickered, crouching down and following the happy couple into the palace.

"I'm glad to be home. Where are my parents?" the silver haired Princess asked, brushing a lock of starry colored hair away from her face. She laughed as Caeley's eyes brightened when she locked eyes on the pair's intertwined hands. The Monkey King noticed the brown haired girl's sparkling expression; he smirked as he pulled Ariya closer as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"The Emperor and Empress are in the throne room. Follow me, Princess!" the bubbly girl exclaimed, bouncing happily through the hallway towards the throne room. The happy couple waited outside the doors as the brown haired servant announced their presence. Ariya was extremely excited to be seeing her parents for the first time since the Peach Banquet so many months ago.

"The Emperor and Empress wish to see you now. They have dismissed the courtiers and are eagerly awaiting your arrival." Caeley said, bowing as the happy couple entered the throne room. Once they entered the Emperor and Empress rose, embracing their daughter in a tight group hug.

"Mother, Father. I wish to tell you some exciting news!" Ariya said. The dark figure was still spying on the smiling couple, eagerly awaiting the news that the Princess was going to deliver. He would obtain the information and would relay it to the Jade Warlord.

"Come. We will discuss this over tea." the Emperor said, snapping his fingers. Several servants rushed forward with a tray of hot tea for the Emperor and the others, bowing once the tray was set on a table. The head servant poured a cup of tea for the royal family…leaving poor WuKong to fend for himself. They were handed the cups when they were seated but the Monkey King had to pour his own cup. Ariya laughed at the expression on WuKong's face, poking him in the side as he grumbled about poor service.

"Now, what did you want to discuss with us, my little lotus blossom?" the Emperor asked, folding his fingers around the steaming cup of tea.

"Mother, Father…how would you feel about a wedding?" the silver haired Princess asked, showing her parents the sparkling golden ring that the white haired warrior had given her the previous day. It was silent for the longest time before a small excited squeak filled the air. Soft arms wrapped around Ariya's shoulders, hugging her softly as her mother launched herself at the happy couple.

"My tiger lily is growing up! I'm so proud of you, dear. I'm so excited! When can I be expecting grandchildren?" the Empress exclaimed, tears of happiness welling up in her eyes. The Emperor, however, had a hard look possessing his withered face.

"My dear, my lotus blossom, I wish to talk to the Monkey King in private." the Jade Emperor calmly requested the two women nodded and rose, leaving the men to their business. Once they were gone the Emperor stared the Monkey King in the eye.

"I remember when you came pleading to me that you wanted to rescue my daughter. Instead, she had been injured several times…but in our defense it wasn't your fault." the white haired man began, calmly sipping on his still steaming cup of tea. The Monkey King opened his mouth to comment but then thought better of it. It would help neither himself nor his beloved Ariya if he were to shoot off his mouth in front of her father.

"I can tell by the way she talks and it lingers in her gaze. My dearest daughter loves you deeply. Answer me this: do you still love my daughter like you pledged to me all those months ago?" the Emperor asked, sharply eying the man sitting in front of him. WuKong's eyes widened before they softened immensely. The mere thought of Ariya was enough to break past the hardened warrior's exterior

"I love her more than life itself. Even though I am immortal I would gladly relinquish my immortality to be with her if she were to die before drinking the elixir." the Monkey King confessed looking down at the table. He had given an honest response but so far it looked as if the Emperor frowned upon their engagement. The Emperor cleared his throat; WuKong looked up in surprise as he found the elderly white haired man smiling widely.

"You have proven yourself to me. I give you my blessing in the upcoming marriage to my daughter." the Emperor stood, walking around the small table to embrace his future son. The Monkey King smiled in delight, embracing the Emperor as well as they talked about the future.

WITH ARIYA AND THE EMPRESS

"Mother, you _are_ happy that I am getting married, aren't you?" the silver haired Princess asked as she and her mother walked through the palace gardens. Both women stopped, sitting on a bench that was conveniently placed before one of the miniature waterfalls. The older woman turned to face her daughter, a soft and happy smile poised on her face.

"Of course, my dear. Whatever gave you the impression that I wasn't happy for you?" the elder woman asked, brushing a stray lock of hair from her daughter's face. The other hand grabbed for Ariya's unoccupied hands, giving them a gentle squeeze.

"Well…the Monkey King isn't really what you would call 'Royal Family material' but I love him with all of my heart. I just don't want you or father to look down on him." the silver haired Princess admitted, looking down at her lap. Her mother smiled, putting one of her fingers under her daughters chin to gently lift her face.

"You know, darling, that I would never disapprove anyone that you fell in love with. You could fall in love with…that horrible excuse for a Warlord and I would be happy. Do you want to know why?" the ebony haired woman asked, still holding that gentle smile on her face.

"Why, mother?" Ariya asked, a question locked in her gaze as she stared her mother in the eye.

"It's because _you_ would be happy. I would have no regrets in life as long as you are happy, my little tiger lily." the Jade Empress said, tears forming in her eyes. The two woman laughed, embracing each other in a loving way. It was not long after their short but meaningful conversation that a servant from the throne room informed them of the Emperor's wish.

"Empress. Princess. The Emperor wishes to speak with you in the throne room." the jade clad servant quickly explained before bowing. He rose from the bow and hurried off to complete his duties elsewhere. The women stood, still happily laughing as they hurried back to the throne room.

Once there the shadowy figure crept towards the door, waiting to see if there was any more information to be acquired. If there was no more information then he was to report directly to the Jade Warlord.

The happy couple embraced each other as they sat before the Emperor; the Empress held a knowing smile as she sat next to her husband.

"Is everything alright, father?" Ariya asked as she grabbed a hold of WuKong's hand, lacing her fingers with his. The elderly man nodded his head, a smile growing on his withered face.

"The Monkey King has earned my approval. There shall be a wedding in one month!" the old Emperor declared, much to the delight of his wife and the happy couple. The figure in the shadows hissed in disdain, wincing at the thought of the mood his master would surely be in when he received the information.

Suddenly, the figure in the shadows gasped; the Monkey King was looking right at him! The white haired warrior furrowed his brow in thought but turned away – he must have not seen him due to the shadows.

"Snowflake, what is it?" Ariya asked as she ran her thumb over the back of his hand. Her fiancé sighed, shaking his head before smiling. He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead, drawing dreamy sighs from her mother and a blush from his beloved. The figure in the shadows gagged, obviously disturbed by the public display of affection.

Instead of sticking around to hear the last bit of information the shadowy figure decided to report to the Jade Warlord. The amount of information he already acquired would make the Warlord angry but he would be able to form a plan to capture the Princess and take the throne for himself.

The man slipped from the room unnoticed…or so he thought. Out of the corner of his eye the Monkey King saw a flash of black against the intricately designed jade walls of the throne room. He would have said something but he was here with his beloved and her parents. The white haired warrior didn't want them to worry.

The mysterious man clad in black hastily made his way through the halls, slipping through the double doors that lead to the Jade Warlord's personal wing. He bowed low before the jade clad man, a somewhat frightened look plastered across his face.

"Lord, I have acquired some interesting news about the Monkey King and the Princess. Apparently they are to be wed in one month!" the man clad in black exclaimed as the intimidating figure turned around. At first his face was furious but then became thoughtful as he thought of an idea.

"Yes…this news that you bring me is interesting…do you know if the Princess plans to stay in the palace?" he asked the black clad servant.

"I don't, my Lord. I left before I could find out any more information." That was the worst thing he could have revealed to the Jade Warlord. His face instantly became furious again as his hands began to glow with his blue chi energy.

"And why exactly did you leave before acquiring all of the necessary information? You are a fool! I should dispose of you now!" the Warlord seethed, using his chi energy to lift the man by the throat. The man clad in black dangled in the air, his feet scrambling to find a place to stand so he could relieve the pressure building on his throat. He gasped, choking on the air that failed to reach his lungs.

"B-because the Monkey King could sense my chi!" he exclaimed, gasping as the Warlord's eyes narrowed.

"Useless fool! I have no use for the likes of you! If you can do something as simple as hiding your chi then you will be disposed of!" the Warlord exclaimed, slashing his hand to the side. The man clad in black flew against the wall; his body was impaled on a spearhead that was hanging from the wall. The man's body hung limp; blood began to flow from his mouth to dribble down his chin.

Ignoring the man as he gasped his last breath the Warlord began to plot anew, sitting at the desk he was stationed at before he was rudely interrupted.

"Hm…maybe I, too, can have a wedding. A _fake_ wedding that is! I will lure the Princess into a false sense of security so she will stay at the palace! Then…when the time is right…I will crush her! Then I will slaughter the Monkey King once and for all!" the Warlord exclaimed, smirking deviously at his brilliant idea. Now…to find a girl as devious as him…


	19. I Don't Trust Him

**Authoress Note: Hey guys! I'm sorry that I haven't been updating as much as I've been promising but I've been having a major case of writers block. I'm sorry, guys!! Anyway, here's chapter 18.**

**Thanks to:**

**All the people who read chapter 17! No reviews for the last chapter...which is a bummer.**

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Chapter 18

I Don't Trust Him

The next morning the Jade Warlord called his servant to him, expecting him to have at least ten women from him to choose from. All of these women were as conniving as he was but they were masters of acting innocent.

"I will choose one of you to act as my partner. Then, the Princess and the Monkey King will let down their guards." The Warlord explained to the line of nervous looking women in front of him. They had a right to be nervous as he was going to kill those who don't meet his standards. The Warlord sneered, lip curling up as he stalked closer to his prey.

There were three women in all, each dressed differently with a different personality…but only one would live to see another day. The evil man snapped his head up as a servant stumbled into the room, bowing low on the ground.

"My lord. The Emperor is holding a celebration banquet tonight in honor of the Princess' engagement." The servant stuttered, breaking into a sweat under the harsh man's cruel gaze. The Jade Warlord glared at the trembling man, daring him to say anything else. The servant just trembled as he backed up, bowing as he scrambled to get out of the room.

"Well, my dears. It seems like your lives will go by a bit quicker." He said, unsheathing his sword and slashing the center woman's throat. The other two gasped but the one on the right brought her hands up to her mouth. It wouldn't do. The Warlord needed a strong woman to play his concubine. He took his bloodstained sword and stabbed the woman on the right in the throat, ensuring her a slow death.

"Get dressed. We have a banquet to attend." The Warlord commanded, throwing the remaining woman a new dress. It wouldn't do for her to be covered in blood, would it?

WITH ARIYA

Since she gave the news to her parents the silver haired Princess couldn't be more excited for the wedding. WuKong, however, had a sinking suspicion that something would be happening in the near future. He couldn't shake the horrid feeling that was growing in the back of his mind.

The two were currently taking a walk in the palace gardens. Ariya was dressed in more formal attire, courtesy of her mother, and the Monkey King was awarded with a clean set of clothes as well. Ariya sighed, feeling the tension that was rolling through the air.

"Snowflake…are you alright? Lately your mind is elsewhere…" the silver haired Princess asked, coming to a stop in front of an elegant stone bench. Coincidentally it was the same bench that she and her mother had sat on earlier. The Monkey King blinked owlishly for a few seconds before turning his attention to the woman sitting before him.

Suddenly he kneeled before her, placing his head in her lap. She giggled, remembering the fond moments they had shared in this very garden…before they were run off by the Jade Warlord.

"I can't help but worry for the future. The Warlord won't stop at destroying me…and I don't want to put you in danger." WuKong admitted, burying his face further in her lap. She absentmindedly began stroking his hair, enjoying the sensation of the silky strands falling between her fingers.

"We can't always predict the future. If we could then I would have been happy with my…surrogate father…because I knew that I would someday be with you." Ariya softly said, ignoring the way that WuKong's hands had tightened into fists when she had mentioned her surrogate father.

"I know…but I would never forgive myself if I knew that I had somehow put you in danger. I want to live with you forever and during our wedding you can drink the elixir of immortality." The Monkey King said happily, leaning up and gently kissing his lover. She sighed happily, leaning into the kiss as well. Neither of them were aware that her parents were watching them through a hidden window.

"Darling, they remind me of us when we were young." Ariya's mother sighed happily, enlacing her fingers with her husbands. His hand tightened around hers as he brought her hand up to his lips, gently kissing it.

"Indeed they do, my dear." The Emperor said, guiding his Empress away from the window to give the two lovebirds some privacy.

The silver haired Princess tilted her head up towards the sun, enjoying the feeling of warmth beating down on her face. She was aware that WuKong was now sitting beside her on the bench as he wrapped an arm around her waist, encouraging her to lean against him. Suddenly, a thought came to his mind.

"Moonbeam…after we're married…how would you feel about children?" the mighty warrior asked with a blush. The silver haired Princess opened her eyes but instead of anger or irritableness, as he expected, he only found happiness and love.

"I would love to have children with you. In the future I would help the little ones with their martial arts." She said, sighing happily and leaning into the strong warrior's embrace. The battle hardened warrior smiled widely, running a hand over his lover's stomach.

"I heard that the Empress wants at least seven grand-children." He chuckled at the silver haired Princess' astonished face.

"S-seven? We'll deal with one first." She spluttered, laughing as well. Time passed as it began to grow dark, signaling that the banquet was going to start soon.

"Highness, milord. The celebration banquet will start soon. Please, come with me so you may be seated." A servant bowed low as she happily stared at the content couple. They nodded and made to stand – or at least Ariya made to stand but the Monkey King swept her off her feet.

"Snowflake!" she shrieked in surprise, kicking her feet and squirming as she tried to make the pale haired warrior put her down. It was in vain as the Monkey King only giggled, swinging her up over his shoulder as he skipped to the banquet room. Once there he put her down as she laughed, enjoying the presence of her lover. She embraced both of her parents before a servant led the four of them to their seats.

"Dinner will be served momentarily." One of the chefs said, bowing low before the royal family. The four of them chatted happily as the rest of the nobles who lived at the palace filed in for the celebration. All was going well until the wicked Warlord appeared with his 'woman' at his side. He planted a kiss on her cheek, drawing the attention of the royal family.

"…What is he doing?" the silver haired Princess whispered to her fiancé. He wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulder as the Warlord decided to sit across from them, saving a seat for the mysterious woman. The Monkey King could tell that she was feeling uncomfortable but they couldn't afford to say anything aloud lest the Warlord start some sort of riot.

"My Princess. How are you this wonderful afternoon?" the Warlord said, picking up the silver haired Princess' hand and kissing it. Ariya tensed but tried to calm her nerves. The Warlord hadn't done a thing wrong…yet. The silver haired Princess turned towards the unknown woman who had taken her place next to the black haired Warlord.

"My name is Aria. May I inquire to know yours?" she asked, speaking politely. Usually she wouldn't have used that particular tone but she was guarded. It may have been a plan to get at the Monkey King. Said Monkey King interlaced his fingers with her hand, sliding the conjoined bundle underneath the table. Squeezing it comfortingly he glanced at Ariya out of the corner of his eye.

"Princess. My name is Leota." The mysterious woman said, bowing her head in receptiveness. The Warlord sneered at Leota, resting his hand on her thigh. Unknown to the others he started to squeeze, his fingers digging into her skin painfully. Leota smiled at the Warlord, albeit disdainfully, and giggled as he whispered into her ear.

"Do **not** show respect for the Princess. That whore will be mine when…our…plan comes into play." His breath tickled her neck and it took all of her willpower for her to not cry.

The silver haired Princess suspected that the Warlord was forcing the woman into one of his evil schemes. She couldn't say anything but she was sure that the Monkey King felt the same.

"Warlord…why is Leota here?" the white haired warrior asked, eyes narrowing. He did, indeed, have the same idea as his fiancé.

"Why…Leota and I are to be married." A smirk spread across his face as the royal family blanched, eyes widening as they accepted the news. Ariya's face was surprisingly blank as her mind was reeling. The Monkey King squeezed her hand underneath the table, reassuring her that everything would work out.

AFTER THE BANQUET

The royal family waited until the other nobles, plus the Warlord and his 'fiancé', had exited the room. WuKong stood, making sure that the room and surrounding hallways were sealed so that they could discuss the newly formed situation.

"Mother, I don't trust the Warlord." Ariya commented, sitting on a cushion next to her mother's throne. The Emperor and WuKong had gone into another room to discuss the wedding preparations in the coming months.

"I know, darling. I just wonder what Leota had to do with all of it." The Empress replied, taking her daughter's head and guiding it to her lap. The older woman discarded the decorative ornaments, running her hands through her daughter's starry colored tresses.

Ariya sighed in content, almost purring with delight at the calming sensation of her mother's fingers. They would comb through her hair, and then smooth the strands down. All in all it was a very good feeling.

"How can I ask Leota why she's marrying the Warlord. The look on her face during the banquet showed that she didn't want to be near him!" the silver haired Princess commented.

"I don't know, my dearest. Perhaps you can corner her in the hallway?" the Empress queried. This struck up another issue with Ariya. She stopped fidgeting and looked up at her mother, a sad look on her face.

"Mother…I wish to go back to the hut…at least until the wedding. It will be safer with just the Monkey King and I." she said quietly, pleading with her eyes. The Empress' fingers stopped combing through her daughters' tresses as her eyes saddened. It only lasted for a few moments but then a gleam of determination sparked to life.

"I agree but you must **promise** to come back. Alright, my dearest?" the Empress asked, staring her daughter in the eyes. The silver haired Princess smiled, nodding her head.

"I promise, mother." She said, enclosing her in a sweet embrace.


	20. WuKong's Birthday Presents

**I'm so sorry that this is so late. Thanks to:**

**Wolvie-girl - I'm so, so sorry this is so late. Writers block has been horrible, but hopefully I'm back.**

**Kima-Rose - Thank you! I'm hoping I can update quicker with the next chapter.**

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**Chapter 19**

**WuKong's Birthday Gifts**

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**Ariya's POV**

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Morning always shone brightly in the world of the Middle Kingdom. There were no storms…or at least they were only at night. Day was always happy when you're awake, and for that I am thankful. You'd think that I'd be used to it since it's nearing the two year anniversary of my arrival. The first year was when…WuKong and I consummated our relationship. It's one of the reasons why it's so special for me. It's been that long since I've arrived here…

I wish I could say that I'm happy, but I can't get Leota's words from my mind. It's not that I'm **not** happy by being here…it's complicated. The man beside me makes me happier than anything and I'm far happier now than when I was living in the future. I guess you could say that I was meant for living here. I don't know why Father couldn't protect me on his own. Perhaps it was because the Warlord could have used me for some of his twisted schemes. I'm not angry at Father – far from it actually. Whatever he chooses I will gladly stand by his side.

Gently slipping from the bed, WuKong and I had returned to our little hut in the woods a couple of days ago, I kissed my Monkey King on the cheek. I had to hold in a soft giggle as his nose twitched; I held my breath, thinking that I had woken him, but all he did was wiggle his nose and turn his head to the side. I sighed in relief as I slipped my overcoat on over my regular nightclothes and stepped outside, raising my chi energy slightly.

It was enough that my little Snowflake wouldn't wake up and worry. By raising my chi energy, but staying in the same place, it's like I'm right there next to him. It's a good thing he's a heavy sleeper if he thinks I'm right there next to him. The poor guy needs his rest. Ever since that dinner with the Jade Warlord he's been a bit jumpy and suspicious. He never wants me to leave the hut by myself…not that I mind, of course.

As I eased myself into a sitting position I couldn't help but think of Leota's words. I closed my eyes and her warning came back to me in full throttle.

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_The day before we were to depart back to our little hut, I was surprised when Leota came to my chambers asking for an audience. WuKong had agreed to oversee the training for father's guards so they were off together doing who knows what. All was well; as long as I had hold of the Hitokiri, everything was fine._

_Leota and I settled in my chambers, sipping the tea that one of the servants brought us. It was relatively normal except for the fact that the poor woman looked as if she were going to cry. The tension between us rose within the room until neither of us could take it anymore._

"_Leota, why are you here?" I asked, taking a small sip of tea before setting the beautiful cup back upon the small table. Imagine my surprise when tears started in drip down her face. She flung herself at my feet and grabbed onto my dress – mother made me wear another dress. Her sobs filled my room as I sat there with an extremely confused look on my face._

"_What's wrong?" I asked. I was totally and utterly speechless. The pretty older woman sat crying her eyes out until her tears finally spent themselves._

"_Princess, you're in danger! The Warlord is going to poison the Monkey King in three days if you're still at the palace!" Leota explained, eyes darting back and forth. I didn't understand. If she were working for the Warlord then why was she revealing her plan to me?_

"_Princess, with all due respect, I am __**not**__ working for the Warlord. I am one of his slaves." Leota sighed, sitting back on her pillow. I looked at the pretty older woman hard, staring at her like I was looking into her very soul. I wasn't sure if I could believe her…but what reason did I have to __**not**__ believe her? I had been manhandled by the Jade Warlord as well. I know how she feels._

"_Well, then what can we do? I am sure as __**hell**__ not going to let that bastard poison my fiancé!" I exclaimed. My eyes hardened and the older woman squirmed underneath my glare. I had that sort of effect on people._

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I had ended up summoning Caeley to my chambers and the three of us devised a plan. I would be poisoned in the Monkey King's stead. The poison is only really harmful to the immortal whereas I'm just a normal human. I am mortal. Knowing the Warlord he would make the poison as painful as possible…and he's going to strike in three days time according to the calculations we've come up with.

Eventually, my eyes grew heavy. I decided to go back to sleep; maybe I would actually find peace now. It was around one in the morning so I'd say that I deserved some well earned sleep. I was afraid of what the Monkey King and the Warlord would do once I had intercepted the dart. It seemed like my dream would be coming into play. I just hope I don't die…like in my dream.

I finally got back up and made my way back into the hut, going to our shared room. I slipped under the covers and snuggled into WuKong's chest. Surprisingly, he opened a bleary eye and looked down at me. He kissed my forehead lovingly; oh, I loved him so much.

"Where were you? I could tell you were nearby, but I couldn't pinpoint your energy." WuKong asked me, sleep weighing down his voice. I mentally sighed; I didn't want him to worry about me, but it seemed like he was going to worry anyway.

"I was just thinking. I went to the front room so I wouldn't wake you." I said, looking down and tracing a finger over his chiseled torso. He grinned up at me, obviously relieved that I hadn't run away or something like that.

"I need to go into town today, Snowflake. I know what you're going to say so save your breath." I said, holding up my hand as he prepared to protest. I knew him so well.

"There will be dozens of people at the market, love. I just need to get some food and I'll be done. Why don't you harass the Warlord today?" I nudged his side. He seemed to be thinking about my proposal; I mentally cheered, allowing my mouth to curve into a small smile. I loved watching WuKong think. His expressions and eyes were like windows to his soul. I loved the way his nose scrunched up when he was seriously thinking about something.

Finally, after about five minutes of contemplating, he sighed and nodded his head. I squealed in delight, throwing myself forward and catching my fiancée in a tight hug. Somehow, I couldn't believe he actually agreed to let me go to the market by myself.

"I might as well bother the Warlord. I always seem to have fun beating up his little lackeys." WuKong said, smiling as he threw the covers back. We gathered our clothing and went to bathe in the hot springs that was a little away from our hut. After our bath the Monkey King and I parted ways after giving each other a loving kiss. He winked at me with a little giggle, smirking as he took off towards the palace. I stood there with a little smile on my face; I really did love that man.

On the way to the market I thought long and hard; WuKong's birthday was tomorrow. There wasn't enough time to celebrate it last year, but I wasn't really all that worried. We didn't celebrate my birthday last year, either. It was all fair. My birthday was before his so it was this past birthday that he got me the items I wear today.

What could I get him? It wasn't like I had a lot of money at the moment. None of the townspeople were supposed to know that I was the Princess. I could be kidnapped and used for ransom. My Snowflake used a lot of his life's savings to buy me my circlet, jacket, and my Hitokiri – he needs to focus on himself a little more often.

I was thinking about the different types of gifts that I could get the handsome warrior when the idea hit. How old were those bracers that he wore? And that nasty hair tie? Didn't he once mention that it would be better to have a high ponytail so that it wouldn't get in the way of his fighting? Right now it was tied back in a low ponytail with this ratty old piece of leather. Perhaps I could get him a new pair of bracers and a new hair tie? It was a possibility.

I had a small sack of things to trade if I needed to. It wasn't much; just some things of mine that I managed to swipe from the palace. Hey, they were mine…so that means I could use it for my benefit, right? Well, the thought was soon wiped from my mind when I approached the center of the small town. In plain sight it was beautiful and lively; it made me ecstatic that I lived in ancient China now more than ever. I loved the architecture of the buildings here.

"Jewelry for sale!"

"Come get fresh meat!"

"Eggs! Laid just this morning!"

"Newly forged weaponry and equipment! Only the finest!" Out of all the others it was this call that caught my attention. I had better shop for his bracers and hair tie now before I forgot later on. I'm such an airhead sometimes and it's not really that funny. Cutting through the crowd, from which I got only a little bit of attention from, I made my way to the stand selling the weapons and equipment. By equipment I was hoping that they were selling defense items. When I got to the booth I was quite surprised when I found out there was a young boy selling the weapons; his father was behind him…but they looked kind of scraggly.

"That head piece! I remember that from anywhere!" the man exclaimed, pointing at me. I looked at him with wide eyes, reaching up a hand to touch the circlet WuKong had gotten me.

"Yes, my fiancée gave it to me. It was a couple of months ago. Did he buy it from you?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. The man smiled, nodding his head eagerly. Perhaps I struck my luck after all. I'm glad that I decided to go to the town when they were having a market day.

"Then perhaps you would have a pair of leather bracers you could sell me?" I inquired, grinning widely. The man nodded before I even got the last word out of my mouth; I squealed in delight as the young boy grabbed a pair of nice looking leather bracers from the store tent. Looking them over, I noticed that they matched with his shoulder guards perfectly. They were made of brown leather with little red knots sewn into them for more protection. They were perfect. Now, I just needed to find that blasted hair tie.

"Um…my fiancée has long hair, but is a fighter. I'm sure you remember what he looks like? Do you have some sort of hair tie that a fighter could use?" I asked, beaming when the little boy ran to the supply tent once again. He came back with another perfect item. As he handed it over I studied it, smiling widely. It was a small circle of leather, smaller than my wrist, but it was perfect to hold his hair up with. It even had a little leather string for him to tie under his chin! It was perfect.

I paid for the items for WuKong's birthday, but now I needed to get the food. I at least know that I had gotten something that he couldn't refuse.


	21. Surprise and Happy Birthday

Author's Note:

I understand that I haven't updated in a while and I apologize for this. This has nothing to do with my wanting to update - I just haven't had the time. I'm a college student who is taking two English classes, two Creative Writing classes, and a Religions class. Do you even want to guess how much reading I have to do for these classes?

Yeah, a lot.

I will also admit that I am in a relationship of almost four months now. He takes up a lot of my time, but I wouldn't have it any other way because I care for him a lot. I love him and would do anything for him. We don't get to hang out as much as we used to because of how much he works and the difference in our class schedules so I cherish any time that I do get to spend with him.

Wednesdays and Sundays I am at church. I am now a part of a wonderful family and I have to rethink my writing style a little bit because part of it is impure. This means I will cut out the majority of the Halloween chapter.

I will try to update whenever I can, but having to read about a thousand pages per week, not to mention the essays coming up that I have two write, is eating up a lot of my time. Mostly every day it is this: wake up, get to school early to do work, go to class, try to grab a bite to eat, go back to class, go home, check e-mail, go to sleep.

I apologize greatly for the inconvienience!


	22. The Calm Before the Storm

**Alright guys. I'm almost done with the story. Two more chapters and this story will be complete.**

**Thanks to:**

**Wolviegurl - I know. Writer's block sucks. I'm going to be doing a sequal, but I want to finish one of my other stories. ^^ Thanks for hanging with me for so long.**

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Chapter 21

**The Calm before the Storm**

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**Ariya's POV**

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I suppose you could say that the Monkey King wore me out when we were in bed together. It was a good thing, too…I don't know if I'll be able to survive the poison dart and I wanted his birthday to be a happy occasion. I didn't know the last time we would be able to spend together. I might be acting a little depressed today, but it's only because of the knowledge I possess. Like I said sometime before: I am **NOT** going to let the Jade Warlord kill my fiancé.

My eyes fluttered open sometime after my actual body woke from my delightful slumber. It was kind of strange; WuKong had obviously been awake before I was…but he was staring at me with a soft smile on his face. The expression was just so cute. It made me smile, but then his smile widened when he saw that I was awake.

"Good morning, Moonbeam." He said, kissing me on the forehead. I stretched like a cat, but it only made him chuckle. Apparently he had a good time last night; WuKong's expression was simply glowing.

"Morning, Snowflake. Have a good time last night?" I couldn't resist asking him. A smirk appeared on his face as he leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on my lips. When he pulled back the smirk was still there.

"It was with you, so of course I did." he stated, looking at his nails in a nonchalant manner. Aww, even when he was acting arrogant and cocky he was still too adorable.

Ugh, I needed to take a bath or something. My body was sweaty and gross from last night's activities in the bed. I voiced my opinion to my lover and he wholeheartedly agreed that we should spend some time in the hot springs. Man, I loved having the hot springs so close to our hut.

Mere minutes later we were naked and relaxing in the hot water. It felt so good and it was easing my tense muscles. I didn't know what I did to deserve this moment, but right now…right now I was going to savor every minute of it. As I was relaxing with the man of my dreams, a thought struck me. If we were going to be fighting some of the warlord's men later, it was either going to be late today or early tomorrow, then shouldn't I brush up on my martial arts?

I lazily opened my eyes and turned my head to see WuKong relaxing next to me. His hair was free from the hair tie I gave him; it flowed freely down his shoulders, just barely skimming the top of the water. Mine, however, had grown to the point where it was now past my butt. Snowflake liked it, though, so I wasn't going to complain.

"Hey, Snowflake. I've been itching for a good spar lately. Mind going at it with me when we're done with our bath?" I asked, closely watching his face. Apparently he loved the idea; his eyes snapped open and started to…glitter would probably be the best word to describe it. His whole face was the epitome of excitement. He threw himself forward to face me, muscles twitching in anticipation.

"Really? Do you really want to?" he asked, laughter bubbling in his voice. He smirked, acting cocky again at the thought of our upcoming spar.

"Well, maybe you could show me a few moves before our spar. You could help me get started in training again. I've definitely been slacking off." I said, laughing at the excited expression still planted on WuKong's face. He suddenly dunked, washing out the herbs from his hair. We were using the kind where you would scrub your hair with it and let it sit for about ten minutes. The appropriate time hadn't passed yet, but I didn't want to burst his bubble. It had been a while since I have seen him so utterly…excited.

He sprayed water on me as his head broke through the surface of the water. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Stay here and I'll go get the things I usually train with, ok?" he said, pointing a finger at me. The man dressed in record time; he was even wearing the new leather bracers and the hair tie I had gotten him. The man is such a sweet guy.

"Ok, ok. I need to wash the herbs out of my hair anyway." I giggled, shooing him away. Now, my mission for the moment was over. My new mission was to wash this entire mass of gunk from my hair. Several minutes later I was ready; I dressed in a hurry. Since we were training today I didn't want to wear my beloved coat. I had become more attached to it since WuKong was the one who had given it to me. It held a lot of meaning.

When I got to the clearing in front of my house I found WuKong anxiously pacing back and forth. When he saw me he jumped up, throwing my Hitokiri towards me. Please don't misunderstand; I don't go to the hot springs with my Hitokiri because it's only about a tenth of a mile away from the hut. I could deal with anyone there without a weapon and if I needed one the hut was a short distance away.

"Are you ready, my dear?" he asked me with an adorable smile on his face. It made my heart flutter when he smiled like that; it was like he didn't have a care in the world. It was times like these that I wish the Warlord would leave us alone.

"I'm ready, 'Master'. What are you going to show me?" I asked, truly curious about what the Monkey King was capable of. Sure, I had read a lot of mythology books concerning him, but that was what they were. Myth. Not all of the things that I have read are probably not true; it would be a refreshing thing to see what my fiancé was truly capable of.

"I'm going to show you something that nobody else can do. Behold!" he exclaimed as he plucked one of the shorter hairs from his cheeks. Now, a lot of girls that I had talked to in the future would have been revolted by Snowflake's facial hair, but I thought that it was cute. It actually made him look more like a monkey. I suppose that is where he got the name 'Monkey King'…besides the fact that he acted like a monkey.

I didn't say anything as I watched my fiancé. Suddenly, he threw the hair in the air, creasing his brow in concentration. The single blond hair drifted in the breeze, but it was suddenly surrounded by a bright white outline. The hair morphed into a complete replica of himself! The copy-Monkey King chuckled and did a couple of back flips in the air, grinning happily as I gazed at the replica with wonder.

"As you can see, I can transform any of my hairs into almost anything I want. If it is destroyed it is turned back into a hair…or it turns back into a hair if I will it so." WuKong explained. The fake WuKong bowed mockingly at her as he twirled his fake Nyoi-bo around his shoulders. I laughed, taking the Hitokiri from its holster; it was still in its holster when I acquired it. It pleased me to see Snowflake wearing his new leather arm bracers…and his new hair tie looks like it keeps his hair out of the way just fine.

The Monkey King and I decided that I was going to spar with his double. He would gain practice with his double while I would gain practice by actually sparring. When I asked him how he would gain practice he replied with a smile.

"Anything my creations do, I do. Anything they learn, I learn. They are essentially part of my soul." He replied, taking an apple from the small pile of food he brought us. It seems like he had thought of everything this time. Apparently you learn something new every day, too. I didn't know that his creations were a part of his soul.

It was time for action; the double probably thought that I had had enough time to think. He came at me, curiously slowly for I didn't think that he was going as fast as he could, and swiped at me with the copy Nyoi-bo. I jumped over it using the Hitokiri; by using the muscles in my arms I used my Bo as a pole vault. I had enough momentum to surprise the double, but he regained his senses easily enough. He swiped the Hitokiri out from underneath me…but I had surprises of my own.

You see, this was something that WuKong didn't realize, when I was talking with the man who had created my circlet he said that the dangling leaves were actually miniscule throwing knives. I could take them off – and they worked! – and throw them at my enemy. I suppose that it was sort of a surprise since I managed to nail the double in the middle of the forehead. WuKong managed to catch me before I fell on my face; I wasn't expecting that the double was going to turn back into a hair.

"What was **that?**" he exclaimed, picking up one of the dangling leaves. I reconnected it with my circlet, smirking as he looked at me with a newfound sense of admiration.

"I learned to use the leaves as throwing knives. The man who made it told me how to use them." I explained, pecking him on the lips. I poked him in the side and jumped away, initiating another round of sparring. I just hoped that he was going to go easy on me.

Several hours later we were grimy and sweaty; we were both covered with dirt and had at least a couple of contusions. Well…I had more bruises than the proud man standing before me. Damn, I think I need another trip to the hot springs.

"I think we're done for the day." WuKong panted. It was still surprisingly early; we had gotten up before the sun rose today. For some reason we couldn't go back to sleep when we woke up this morning. Right now it was around eleven.

"Can we go to the hot springs?" I asked…or well it was more like pleading. It seemed like WuKong really wanted to go as well since his face brightened when I mentioned them. He picked me up in his arms and we stopped by the hut to grab another set of clothes for ourselves. Mine was a simple grey dress with a black sash.

The hot springs really were relaxing, but I had this…feeling that something was going to happen. I really should listen to my gut. Every time I have it's been right. I didn't want to ruin my quiet moments with my fiancé, however, so I just remained silent as the proud and strong warrior effortlessly lifted me in his arms once again.

Sometimes I just don't know what that amazing man sees in me. Sometimes the words of the Warlord run true through my heart; I feel useless and there are times where I feel that my Snowflake would be better off if he had never met me. I don't tell this to him, though. He would only blame himself. That is one of the reasons why I'm not telling him about the Warlord's plan. I can only hope that he didn't find out by going to stalk the Warlord the other day.

I sighed happily as I sank into the bubbling hot water. It was such a relief on my aching muscles. WuKong was such a sweetheart; he insisted on sitting behind me to rub my aching shoulders. He even insisted on washing my hair again. I wanted to object, but he had truth to his words. I was sweating more than he was since I was the one exerting more effort.

"Why don't I rub your back for a while, Snowflake?" I asked, turning around and nuzzling his neck. He closed his eyes and smiled, burying his face in my hair. It was a comforting feeling and it crossed out the bad feeling that was forming in the pit of my stomach. I turned him around so that he was kneeling on his knees in the bubbling water. My Snowflake's front half was pressed against the large rocks as he placed his head into his folded arms. His hair was loose once again so I bunched it up, placing it over one of his shoulders.

With a smile on my face I started to knead his back; his muscles were much tenser than he let on. I wonder why he would always insist that he was alright when his body was suffering because of it. It must have felt good because he sighed, relaxing as he buried his face deeper into his arms. My hands roamed over his back, massaging and rubbing out all the tense muscles. When I was sure that he was completely relaxed, I leaned forward and kissed his neck. The feeling in my stomach just tripled; I needed to find where it was coming from.

"I'm getting out for a little while, ok? I'm a little hot." I whispered, making sure that he was still comfortable. WuKong nodded his head, still content in his own little world. Once I made sure that he wasn't going to follow me, I got out of the hot spring. I dressed in my light grey dress – mother made sure it had **some** embroidery on it – and slipped my slippers onto my feet. I hastily tied my hair back into a braid and slipped away, in the opposite direction of our hut.

When I was a good distance away from the hot springs I realized that I had completely forgotten my Hitokiri. At least I had remembered to put my circlet back on; I had at least eight dangling leaf-knives attached to it. I was about to go back to retrieve it, but I heard something in the middle of the bamboo forest. It…it sounded like a little girl. I listened to the wind more and realized that the little girl was crying.

The little girl's cry reminded me of all the time I spent crying as a little girl. My heart clinched and I turned, forgetting about retrieving my Hitokiri. Instead, I dashed further into the forest, trying to find the crying little girl.

When I got to the source of the noise I looked around…but there was no crying little girl. I looked around, grabbing two of the leaf-knives from my circlet. The crying was reverberating through the small clearing, but the last thing I expected was to be attacked from behind. My chi senses didn't catch the person behind me, but when the person lashed out they caught my left leg.

I turned and threw the leaf-knives, hoping to hit the person behind me. Without looking to see if they connected I turned and ran, letting out a piercing scream. Hopefully WuKong would come to my aid.


	23. The Death of the Jade Princess

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Don't forget to vote on my new poll!

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**Chapter 22**

**The Death of the Jade Princess**

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**WuKong's POV**

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When I heard that terrible shriek reverberate through the bamboo forest, I knew something was terribly wrong. My head jerked up and I was out of the water in a flash. It was a blur; my clothes were on and my armor was fastened before I could even realize what happened. My Nyoi-bo was securely fastened upon my back and my Moonbeam's Hitokiri was secured next to it.

The next thing I knew I was running through the forest, intent on finding my beloved Princess. I paused, not knowing exactly where she was, but an incessant tug pulled along my soul. I always knew that we were destined to be together, but I didn't know that we were _**soul mates**_. My eyes started watering as I started running again; this time I knew where I was going. My soul was being pulled towards hers.

Dozens of trees flashed through my vision; I was running as fast as I could to where her soul was pulling me. All of a sudden I stopped, recognizing a small shining jewel embedded into the branch beside my head. It was the leaf shaped jewel that was on Ariya's circlet. My heart froze; I didn't know where to go from now. I had lost the pull that her soul had on mine.

I closed my eyes, literally begging her soul to find mine again. I didn't have to wait long because a loud scream echoed through the forest. My eyes widened as I recognized the scream; I didn't even have to use the pull of her soul against mine. My feet were carrying me faster than I have ever travelled before. I broke through the foliage and my blood started to boil; there was no laughter erupting from my lips like there usually was during a fight.

My chi started to simmer, breaking forth from its solid cage that I called my body. I bared my teeth in a blind rage, swiping forth my Nyoi-bo. I laughed in satisfaction as it slammed into the back of the man attacking my lover.

"Lay one hand on her and I'll make sure your death will be a painful one." I seethed, kicking the man away from her. I slammed the Nyoi-bo into his other side, watching with a grin on my face as the man who attacked my Moonbeam flew across the clearing. Without looking to see if he got up, I gathered Ariya in my arms. Without looking back I ran in the direction of our hut. When we were there I placed my beloved on her feet, watching as she favored her leg.

"Thank you, Snowflake." She murmured, looking up at me with big eyes. I felt horrible. I should have gone with her. I could have protected her…but I was a fool and she was injured. I have nobody to blame but myself.

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Ariya's POV

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I couldn't help but feel bad for the look on WuKong's face. It's as if he blamed himself for my injury. It's not his fault! If it's anyone's fault then the blame lies with me. I am the one who left the hot springs on my own. I am the one to blame.

I couldn't let that look of self loathing settle on WuKong's face any longer. I still had that bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. If any indication of the attack earlier…then the Warlord just might attack sometime soon.

Aah! I need to get my mind off these things. Hah! I have a good idea. I'll get sweaty and gross…for the third time today…but I don't care. I snatched my Hitokiri from WuKong, who barely spared me a glance, and poked him in the side.

You know, since WuKong is such a strong and powerful warrior you'd think that he wouldn't be ticklish. Oh, how you guys are wrong. When I poked him in the side he twitched, squeaking when he jumped away. I hadn't done this before, but when he made that noise…oh man, I died laughing.

I clutched my sides as WuKong blinked his eyes, coming back from whatever place he had gone to. I'll just call it his 'Happy Place'. Anyway, when he looked at me with big eyes I had to laugh more.

"You're it!" I exclaimed, taking off towards the mountain. We could to Miniature Mountain hopping as we sparred…again.

"Oh, now you've done it!" he exclaimed as he raced after me. He was twirling his Nyoi-bo in his hands as he attacked me with it. Of course, he was letting me off. If he had actually been angry with me…actually he's never really been angry with me. Come to think of it…we've never really had an argument. I wonder if that's normal in a couple.

The Monkey King continued to try to hit me, but I was just too fast for him…not the sarcasm people. I smirked, planting my feet on his chest and kicking off; the quick and surprising motion sent him across the rock that we were fighting on top of. He back flipped, using his staff to stop his journey across the barren land. He twirled the golden staff, flipping it around his back to the other hand. He was challenging me.

I was about to attack him but stopped, cocking my head to the side. The bad feeling in my gut just grew again. The smile I was wearing disappeared as I dropped into a defensive stance, motioning for the Monkey King to do the same.

"Be ready for them, Ariya." The Monkey King murmured, glancing in my direction as a swarm of men dressed in traditional Jade armor surrounded us… it was the armor of the warriors of the Jade Warlord. The time had come. The Warlord was just jealous and full of lust, angry with me because I refused to be his. I will not give in to him.

"I am ready for them, love." Isaid, sliding my own staff in front of me, crouching down to be ready for an attack of all directions. This was playing out like an exact replica of my dream. Maybe…it was a vision of the future. I knew that, unlike my love, she was not immortal. I can still die and I sure as hell did not want to die with the Monkey King watching. I'd be damned if I were to die at the hands of someone as vile as the Warlord at all. Suddenly, the warriors attacked. The Monkey King grinned in glee, enjoying the fact that he could kick some well deserved ass. I was happy if he was happy…that was all that mattered. I just had to get him away from the one holding the dart. He would be the one in the fancy helmet. WuKong giggled, swiping his well polished weapon into several minor warriors.

We split and took on half of the warriors each, which meant each of us had about thirty warriors to fight with. Snowflake was having fun, jumping from rock formation to rock formation with his chi magic and whacking the warriors in the ribs. A couple of them actually made really funny noises when they were hit. The ones he hit almost automatically went down, bones cracked or broken with the force of the blow.

I had to admit that I was faring slightly worse, using my staff in a more defensive aspect. It was because of my injured leg. That damn man had to go and attack me… I twirled the staff around myself, catching about ten of the warriors in either the head or the stomach, and grinned when I heard some of the bones crack. Soon, the two of us were separated very far, unable to see each other as we fought. The plan was going smoothly so far…the man with the funky helmet was fighting me. If I keep taunting him he'll shoot me instead.

I fought as hard as I could before I felt a sharp pain in the back of her shoulder. This was it; he shot me with the dart. I must have gotten in his way. I couldn't help but cry out as I reached behind me, pulling a thin dart from my shoulder. The dart was filled with some sort of questionable liquid; there wasn't enough time to figure out what it was, so I kept fighting.

The Monkey King froze as he finished off the last warrior he was fighting against, heart clinching when he heard me cry out. I could tell by the look on his face that he was panicking. He dashed over to where I was fighting and quickly finished off the last three of my opponents, watching me as she pulled the thin dart out of her shoulder. It held a clear liquid so it could have been anything. It was then that I noticed him as he rushed over to my side as I fell to her knees, eyes unfocused, and shivering. Slowly, some sort of effect was growing on me. The pain increased slowly at first, but it eventually became unbearable. God, it hurt.

I felt as though I was slowly being pierced by thousands of tiny needles, but the pain was concentrated in one spot. I gasped, somewhat aware that WuKong was by her side. I could barely hear him begging me to tell him what was wrong; I could barely sense anything that was going on around me as my mind became foggy. What was going on? I froze as a wave of pain passed through me, causing me to scream and collapse on the rock. I grit my teeth as I seized, writhing on the soil. I could just barely hear the Monkey King shout my name before I felt myself being picked up bridal style and rushed off the cliff.

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General POV

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At no time at all they were back at the Monkey King's somewhat large home. He hurriedly carried his love into the welcoming house, and brought her over to the soft bed. She had stopped writhing a while ago and had fallen into a deep sleep, but not before muttering that she loved him.

The Monkey King smiled softly at the image of the sleeping woman, but was still worried about the serum that caused the little episode. Well, there was nothing he could do but wait until she woke up. He stripped off the two metal staffs, setting them against the wall next to the bed, then stripping off his leather armor. He then settled down beside her upon the bed and watched her as she slept. It was no time at all that he fell into a deep sleep as well, curling up against his fiancé.

A lone figure crawled through the window of the Monkey King's home, stealthily pressing itself up against the wall. This was not a normal thief; he was a master of suppressing his chi energy. Before, they had made a mistake, but now…now was the time to extract their revenge against that heathen and his 'love'.

The black clad figure sneaked a look towards the Monkey King, but soon set its eyes upon Ariya, grinning evilly. No, the woman was what it had come for. He could never be able to touch the King without him waking up…but the Monkey Queen would hold quite the ransom.

The silver haired woman had put up quite a struggle, but that was what the serum was for. It was not very strong but it was strong enough to get that woman of his to faint and get him all worked up. No doubt the Monkey King knew who was behind the act, but the person smirked, revealing a sharp fang. Both of them thought that the serum was for the Monkey King…well they were both fools. The person quietly slipped the silver haired woman's metal staff from the wall and secured it to his back. Then it stopped by the bed, slipping one arm under her knees and the other behind her back.

The person grunted a little bit picking up Ariya, but managed to succeed. It stood, watching the Monkey King snap his eyes open, freezing when it realized that the Monkey King had spotted it.

The person jumped back as the Monkey King swung an extremely accurate curled fist in its direction. The person jumped out the window and narrowly dodged a kick dangerously aimed for its head. The person chanted some sort of chi spell and he teleported away, with Ariya, as the Monkey King narrowly missed smashing his skull with his staff.

The Monkey King pounded the ground with his fist and glared in the direction of the Jade Warlord's palace. His eyes narrowed in his fit of rage; his blood was boiling to the point that he was no longer in control of his actions. After screaming into the night he tightened his hand into a fist, vowing to take revenge on the Jade Warlord…

The light haired warrior growled, taking off in the direction of the palace where his beloved was being held hostage. He leapt from rock tower to rock tower in order to reach his goal faster. Once he reached his goal he leapt through the window, only to see his beloved Queen strapped to the wall, obviously still unconscious. The Warlord stood in front of her, smirking, and stroking her cheek with his pale hand. The Warlord held a glaive in his other hand, a crescent blade attached to the metal pole, underneath the original glaive blade.

They stood apart, Monkey King facing evil Chinese Warlord. The King stood grinning, but he held an untold fury in his eyes. He crouched down, bringing his beloved metal staff up behind him as the Warlord swung his glaive up.

It was time to begin the battle.

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Ariya's POV

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There were sounds of crashing and clangs of metal, echoing as they reached my ears as I desperately struggled to lift my eyelids. Everything was dark and when I managed to actually lift them the blinding light made everything worse. I was in a terrible amount of pain and all I wanted was to get down from this stinking wall! Wait….

My eyes snapped open again as I realized that I was actually strapped to a wall. How had I gotten there? When had I gotten there? It had definitely been after I was pricked with the dart…but I didn't understand.

I struggled as hard as I could, but I flinched when I suddenly heard cruel laughter next to my ear. I jerked my head to the left and saw that evil bastard of a Warlord standing next to me. Oh, my fiancé will make him pay. I pushed my head far away from him and blinked in surprise when I saw a fruit being thrown at the Warlord's head. It was kind of amusing. I looked up and smiled, happy that the Monkey King had come for me…if I could even figure out how I was strapped to the wall in the first place. Gah, this is so frustrating! I hate being the damsel in distress.

I was about to call out for him, but I stopped seeing as he was concentrating very hard on the battle. It was weird; I had never seen WuKong so concentrated on something…unless I was in danger. I didn't feel like I was in danger, but maybe he felt like I was. Oh, I know what's coming next; it's exactly like that premonition I saw.

I felt like I would only get in his way seeing that he was in such a heated battle. Suddenly, the Warlord suggested that they fight without weapons and without chi magic. Sure, like the Monkey King would believe that…would he? He was so damn trusting! I wanted to cry out, but soon realized that I couldn't or he would lose his concentration.

The Monkey King shoved his trusted metal staff down into the ground, and was about to take position, but stopped when he saw that the Warlord had hidden a knife in his sleeve pocket. He was going to step forward but…no! It was too late; he had already shoved the knife into my chest. I didn't feel much at first, but the pain hit suddenly and forcefully.

I gasped as I felt a searing pain in my chest, pulsating with every beat of my heart. It was agonizing. I looked down in a sort of daze, not believing what I was seeing. Suddenly, the restraints were loosened and I fell to the ground in a shaking heap. I was becoming weak. My hands flew up to the knife lodged in my chest as a pair of strong arms wrapped around my shoulders. The person tried to lift me very gently, but each movement of my body was excrutiating.

I looked up in a daze, looking up into the distraught eyes of the one I loved. He lightly shook my shoulders, but gave a light cry as I collapsed in his arms. I couldn't hold myself up any longer. He turned me over on my back and placed my head in his lap, lightly gripping the knife and tugging it from my chest.

Once the knife was dislodged from my chest the blood could flow freely, causing him to tear up. He knew that I was going to die, but he didn't want to face the truth. He was always like that…so carefree. It was one of the reasons why I loved him. He bunched up the tough material of his belt and pressed it to the grotesque wound, but it didn't help.

"Sun…Wu…Kong" I whispered ever so quietly, taking one of his hands in mine. It was so quiet that only my Snowflake was able to hear it. I had said his name. I brought the other hand up to his face, cupping his cheek and my eyes started to glaze with unshed tears.

"Be happy…for me…" I whispered…and then…I died.

Dying wasn't like what I imagined. I was floating on a cloud when the Jade Emperor came to me.

"My darling Lotus. I am so grieved that you were killed by the Warlord while I was in meditation. I can send you to the future once again for you to regain your strength, but you won't have any memory. Once the Monkey King is freed, your memories will return, but until then…be safe my dear." He said, waving his hand.

Suddenly, it was as if I was being pulled down towards the ground, but I was blinded by a flash of green light. I knew no more after that.


	24. The End or Not?

**Woo! Thank you, Wolviegurl, for being my 50th reviewer! I didnt think I'd get this far because of the writers block. Thanks!!**

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**Chapter 23**

**The End…or Not?**

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**Ariya's POV**

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I awoke to a throbbing headache. There was also an aching feeling deep within my chest…in my heart. My hair was a mess and my pants were bloody…but there was no obvious wound on my leg. Didn't my dad cut it up pretty badly when I was racing up the stairs?

I got up, ignorant of the small item lying in my lap. When I swung my legs off the bed I heard a small plunk as an item landed on the floor. What in the world could have been resting on my stomach? I looked down and gasped; there was a small green gem in the shape of a leaf.

It was beautiful. There was a small circle on the end…like it would be hooked to something. I was about to pick it up, but something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. It pulled at my very soul, but in the beginning it didn't seem that important. It was a single white-blond hair that was floating in the air of my room.

I was unaware that a smile had formed on my face until I looked in the mirror. I outstretched my hand and watched in awe as the small hair landed in my palm. Somehow, I knew that it was important. Tears came to my eyes as I bent down to retrieve the small gem. It looked like it was made of…jade.

Somehow I recognized the piece of jade, but I can't remember where I had seen it from. I carefully placed the small piece of jade and the hair in a film canister I had lying in my room…don't ask me why it was there. I can't remember. When I was done I snugly hid the canister away in a draw of my desk. The horrible man downstairs doesn't usually check my room for anything suspicious.

Suddenly, the phone in my room started to ring. It was a cell phone, one I had saved months for. I don't give my number out freely, so I was rather wary about answering it.

"Hello?" I quietly asked; I didn't want the man downstairs to burst into my room.

"Yeah…is this…Ariya?" the male on the other end of the line asked me. I was shocked and slightly intimidated. How did he know my name?

"Yes…this is she? Who is this and why are you calling?" I was suspicious to why this man was calling.

"Oh god, it is you. Ariya…my name is Jason. I'm your brother." The man said making me gasp. I couldn't believe it, but my hope began to rise. I'd do just about anything to get out of this hellhole.

"…Are you really?" I asked, voice small.

"Yeah. Mom was pregnant with me when you were little. She left because she was afraid for my life. She wanted to bring you with us, but dad got custody of you before she could. Now, she's got the papers and witnesses saying you've been mistreated. You can come with us. I gotta go now, Mom's calling…but we love ya, sis." Jason said, breathing into the phone. I could hear the sincerity in his voice.

"Love you, too, Jason." I said as we hung up the phone. I slowly set it down on the desk as something made me turn around. A blinding green light appeared over my bed as a letter formed. It floated down onto the bed; my mind started to go into shock. How the hell could a letter be formed of the light? I watched as the letter floated down to the comforter.

My hand trembled as I picked up the letter. I read the words aloud to myself, wondering what they could mean.

"This isn't the end, my Lotus. It is only the beginning."


End file.
